Friday Performance Pick – 39

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons

It’s summer in Texas. Beneath the blazing sun’s relentless heat, men and flocks are sweltering, pines are scorched. No, that’s not actually my prose. It’s taken from the Sonnet that accompanies Vivaldi’s Concerto “Summer” from The Four Seasons. It’s presumed that Vivaldi wrote the four Sonnets that correspond to the four concertos, but their authorship is uncertain.

VivaldiThere’s no doubt, however, about who composed this set of four concertos, the most famous and popular work of Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741). If you don’t recognize something from The Four Seasons, then you probably don’t go to movies or watch TV. These musical themes show up in all sorts of places.

Their popularity stems in part from the way in which the music portrays non-musical (or extra-musical) things. Obviously, each of the concertos is descriptive generally of one of the seasons, but there are many more specific portrayals within each concerto. These will be much more apparent if you read the Sonnets as you listen.

Descriptive or programmatic music was not new in Vivaldi’s time, but it was not the norm and it was generally viewed as a lower sort of musical expression. The Four Seasons helped to change that perception, although the battle between programmatic music and “pure” music would rage on.

So you can embrace the current reality and sit on the veranda with a tall iced tea as gnats and flies buzz furiously around, or take refuge imagining yourself running to and fro to stamp your icy feet, teeth chattering in the bitter chill. There’s something here for every occasion.