Baroque❸

Vivaldi's Four Seasons

 

SPRING (CONCERTO NO. 1)

1Joyful Spring has arrived,
The birds welcome it with their happy songs,
And the brooks in the gentle breezes
Flow with a sweet murmur.
The sky is covered with a black mantle,
Thunder and lightning announce a storm.
When they are silent, the birds
Take up again their harmonious songs.

2And in the flower-rich meadow,
To the gentle murmur of leaves and plants
The goatherd sleeps, his faithful dog at his side.

3 To the merry sounds of a rustic bagpipe

Nymphs and shepherds dance in their beloved spot
When Spring appears in its brilliance.


SUMMER (CONCERTO NO. 2)

1 Under the merciless sun
Languishes man and flock; the pine tree burns,
The cuckoo begins to sing and at once
Join in the turtle doves and the goldfinch.
A gentle breeze blows, but Boreas
Joins battle suddenly with his neighbour,
And the shepherd weeps because overhead
Hangs the dreaded storm, and his destiny.

2 His tired limbs are robbed of their rest
By his fear of the lightning and the heavy thunder
And by the furious swarm of flies and hornets.

3 Alas, his fears are well founded
There is thunder and lightning in the sky
And the hail cuts down the lofty ears of corn.


AUTUMN (CONCERTO NO. 3)

1 The peasant celebrates with song and dance
The pleasure of the rich harvest,
And full of the liquor of Bacchus
They finish their merrymaking with a sleep.

2 All are made to leave off singing and dancing
By the air which now mild gives pleasure
And by the season which invited many
To enjoy a sweet sleep.

3 At dawn the hunters
With horns and guns and dogs leave their home
The beast flees; they follow its traces.
Already terrified and tired by the great noise
Of the guns and the dogs, and wounded it tries
Feebly to escape, but exhausted dies.

WINTER (CONCERTO NO.  4)

1 Frozen and shivering in the icy snow.
In the strong blasts of a terrible wind
To run stamping one’s feet at every step
With one’s teeth chattering through the cold.

2 To spend the quiet and happy days by the fire
Whilst outside the rain soaks everyone.
To walk on the ice with slow steps
And go carefully for fear of falling.

3 To go in haste, slide and fall down:
To go again on the ice and run,
Until the ice cracks and open.
To hear leaving their
Iron-gated house Sirocco,
Boreas and all the winds in battle:
This is winter, but it brings joy.

    
     The Four Seasons concertos were inspired by four paintings of the seasons by the artist Marco Ricci. Music that tells a story or paints a picture is called  programme music. Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons stand out as some of the most descriptive music ever written and were revolutionary in their time.

How do I feel this concerto？

Metre – I usually find that the main pulses fit into groups of twos, threes, or fours. We can  follow the metre while the music is playing. A good place to start is the beginning of “Autumn,” where there are four pulses per measure.

Tempo – The speed may vary from very slow to very fast. The first movement of “Autumn” to be played allegro, while the second movement is adagio.

Dynamics – Dynamics refer to how loudly or softly the music should be played.In baroque music the dynamics usually change abruptly rather than gradually. I can hear this clearly in the first few moments of “Spring.”
Timbre – The bright violin sounds different from a darker-toned viola or from the deep, low cello, even if it’s playing exactly the same note. I can hear an excellent example of the contrast of timbres between the violins and the cellos shortly after the beginning of “Summer.”

Harmony – Some chords sound gentle and pleasant, some may sound harsh or unpleasant. The composer uses these to create the kind of mood he wants at each moment. Listen to the beginning of “Winter.” No melody at all, hardly any rhythm, but what harmony!!  Vivaldi sustains each chord for eight even pulses, then he goes on to the next. Each new chord is a surprise. You never know where Vivaldi will lead you next.