A. Kori Hill
Some folks joke that Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) wrote the same concerto 200 times. He didn’t; he wrote at least 300, some think as many as 500, though not all of them have survived.
One of Vivaldi’s most famous is The Four Seasons, four concertos for violin, strings, and basso continuo (a supportive part often played by a harpsichord or other keyboard instrument). Each concerto evokes a particular season, accompanied by a sonnet that describes different seasonal +scenarios. We don’t know for sure that Vivaldi wrote them. But since each sonnet is divided into sections that align with each concerto’s three movements, he likely did.
Here are several things to listen for: the alteration between sections where the soloist plays with the orchestra and when the soloist is the star (ritornello form); the fast-slow-fast structure of the concerto; the return of the main melody near the end of the movement (proto-sonata form). These would become core features of the concerto: a classical genre where a solo instrument is supported/in conversation with a larger ensemble, usually an orchestra.
“Spring” (La primavera), Op. 8, RV 269, is in E major, a key signature associated with a bright, happy character. In Allegro, we hear the flutter of bird calls between the soloist and the concertmaster (listen to the violas later on; you may hear a barking dog!). Largo e pianissimo sempre is lyrical and melancholic. The soloist sings the melody with the support of the orchestra. Allegro pastorale sees a return to the triumph of the first movement.
“Summer” (L’estate), Op. 8, RV 315, is set in G minor. Allegro non molto is blistering and fierce like the scorching summer sun. The soloist’s lyricism in the Adagio is offset with intense, repetitive interjections by the orchestra. This movement’s brevity makes it feel more like an interlude, making way for the fury of the Presto.
“Autumn” (L’autunno), Op. 8, RV 293, is relaxed and chill. It is set in another happy key, F major. Allegro gives the soloist a lot of fun passages, moving between lyrical, spritely, and intense. Adagio molto again throws on lyricism and melancholy. But this time, the soloist and orchestra are unified, supporting the contrapuntal motion of the basso continuo. The Allegro is joyful; its dotted rhythms evoke a rustic country dance. After all, autumn is the time of harvest, reaping the rewards of the year, letting loose before the freeze of winter.
“Winter” (L’inverno), Op. 8, RV 297, begins with shivering. We hear it in the opening of Allegro non molto, quiet and creepy. It shifts quickly to a swirling winter wind. Largo is singing and hopeful, the soloist telling a story of warmth by the fire; the orchestra is the rain drip–dropping outside. Soloist and first stand of 1st violins tread carefully on ice in the Allegro. The sounds are icy and brittle, lilting and delicate, and then a whirling intensity brings the concerto to an end.
