From the very outset of the Spring violin concerto, the brilliance of Antonio Vivaldi’s style makes itself known.
Listeners are immediately gripped by its exuberance, the music easily evoking images of energetic streams, budding flowers and the spirited melodies of bird songs.
And this is exactly what Vivaldi wanted.
Watch the renowned Netherlands Bach Society perform Vivaldi’s Spring concerto (La primavera)
The music definitely speaks for itself; but, if you have a few minutes, some notes on the concertos may be of interest.
And keep an eye out for another gem of a performance below…
The Four Seasons
The group of concertos referred to as The Four Seasons constitute the first four pieces of a larger work of 12 violin concertos, titled Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione (“The Contest Between Harmony and Invention”).
The cycle moves from Spring to Summer to Autumn to Winter, and each season is associated with a poem that describes the images and events depicted in the music.
Telling a story, painting a picture
The use of music to represent a story in this way is known as programme music.
The poet who penned the four sonnets hasn’t been identified beyond all doubt, but there is a good argument that it was Vivaldi himself.
All of the four sonnets are divided into three sections, and each of the The Four Seasons concertos have three movements.
In short, there is an alignment between each season’s three movements and the three sections of its accompanying sonnet.
Singing birds and murmuring streams – The Spring sonnet
Instead of quoting the lines of the Spring sonnet, programme notes written by Christine Lee Gengaro of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra explain the scenery quite nicely.
La primavera, or “Spring,” begins with the crispness and clarity of a cloudless spring day and features singing birds and murmuring streams.
A sudden quick thunderstorm invades, but birdsong soon regains control.
The second movement illustrates a peaceful day, the quiet disturbed only by a barking dog.
The final movement is a lively dance for countryfolk who seem to be celebrating the return of life after a long winter.
The entire narrative above can be heard in the music, and our understanding and appreciation of the concertos only grow when this comes to life.
Watch the Netherlands Bach Society perform Vivaldi’s Winter concerto (L’inverno)
In addition to the above (absolutely virtuosic) performance of Spring by the Netherlands Bach Society, we’ve also included the Winter concerto as a goodbye to a season that, whilst cold, nonetheless holds its own beauty and character.
To quote Gengaro again:
Finally, there is “Winter,” L’inverno. The opening sounds like a shivering person rhythmically stamping his feet to stay warm. The soloist provides the icy winds, and the ensemble responds with chattering teeth.
The middle movement describes the peaceful pleasure of warming up inside by a crackling fire.
In the final movement, those outdoors walk carefully on the icy paths, while those inside feel winter’s chill as it relentlessly finds its way into the house.
But still, Vivaldi reminds us, winter—like all the other seasons—has its specific charms and moments of contentment.
