Vivaldi: Summer [from "The Four Seasons"] - 3. Presto (Synthesized)

Описание: For information on the visualization, please read the note at the end.

The Four Seasons (Le quattro stagioni) is a set of four violin concertos by Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741). Composed in 1723, The Four Seasons is Vivaldi's best-known work, and is among the most popular pieces of Baroque music. The texture of each concerto is varied, each resembling its respective season. For example, "Winter" is peppered with silvery pizzicato notes from the high strings, calling to mind icy rain, whereas "Summer" evokes a thunderstorm in its final movement, which is why the movement is often dubbed "Storm."

The concertos were first published in 1725 as part of a set of twelve concerti, Vivaldi's Op. 8, entitled "Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione" (The Contest Between Harmony and Invention). The first four concertos were designated Le quattro stagioni, each being named after a season. Each one is in three movements, with a slow movement between two faster ones. At the time of writing The Four Seasons, the modern solo form of the concerto had not yet been defined (typically a solo instrument and accompanying orchestra). Vivaldi's original arrangement for solo violin with string quartet and basso continuo helped to define the form.

The four concertos were written to accompany four sonnets. Though it is not known who wrote these sonnets, there is a theory that Vivaldi wrote them himself, given that each sonnet is broken down into three sections, neatly corresponding to a movement in the concerto. Whoever wrote the sonnets, The Four Seasons may be classified as "program music" (instrumental music that intends to evoke something extra-musical). In addition to these sonnets, Vivaldi provided instructions such as "The barking dog" (in the second movement of "Spring"), "Languor caused by the heat" (in the first movement of "Summer"), and "the drunkards have fallen asleep" (in the second movement of "Autumn").

Vivaldi's "Summer" is a prime example of programmatic music, where instrumental music tells a story or evokes extra-musical images, in this case, the experiences of summer. This concerto, No. 2 in G minor, Op. 8 (RV 315), musically depicts the season's intense heat, changing weather patterns, and eventual storm. The first movement evokes a sense of languid heat, punctuated by the calls of birds. The middle Adagio depicts a shepherd whose sleep is disturbed by the buzz of insects and distant thunder. The storminess set out in this movement continues at the outset of the Presto finale, as the storm finally does begin to rage.

The mood throughout this closing panel, whether in the writing for the orchestra or for the soloist, brims with tension, at times even frenzy, as this storm fells stalks of corn and ravages the countryside. The movement utilizes rapid string passages and powerful orchestral swells to depict the storm's ferocity, including the sound of howling winds, thunder, and hail. Vivaldi's use of the descending tetrachord motive, common in Baroque music for expressing suffering, adds to the sense of drama and chaos. This brief movement provides a brilliant finish to this colorful concerto.

Here is the descriptive translation of the sonnet for the Presto (3rd movement) from Summer:

Alas, his fears were justified
The Heavens thunder and roar and with hail
Cut the head off the wheat and damages the grain.


For those wanting to follow along, the MAMM (Music Animation Machine Midi) visualization displays the following instruments:

Solo Violin - Yellow (presented an octave higher)
Violins I - Orange
Violins II - Cyan
Violas - Blue
Cellos - Purple
Double Bass - Pink
Haprsichord - (omitted from presentation)


The use of headphones will greatly enhance the listening experience.