Antonio Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’ suite, a set of four concertos, is no doubt the composer’s most famous work. First published in 1752, Vivaldi wrote each concerto to evoke vivid imageries of the seasons: birds greeting spring with joyful song, summer painted in vivid colors, autumn marked by folksy harvest celebration and the solace of a warm fireplace amid the bleakness of winter.  As we are now into the last season of the year, I will focus on the winter concerto, itself a set of four movements. To show the genius of Vivaldi in painting the moods that winter brings, I will focus on the first two movements, titled Allegro non molto (I) and Largo (II) respectively. You can watch the two movements in the video below, performed with gusto by the Taiwanese-Australian violin soloist Ray Chen, along with the Rockport Chamber Musical Festival Orchestra.

Movement I of ‘Winter’ opens with staccato chords to evoke anxiety as the chill of winter progresses. The rest of the movement plays on this theme as Vivaldi imagines icy winds cutting across the landscape. Rushing runs of violin notes create the sounds of swirling movements; leaping violin notes give a sense of people stamping to keep warm, and fast tremolo notes of the solo violin suggest the sound of chattering teeth. The third and final movements reinforce this theme of frosty swirls and wind chills before the work ends in a somewhat positive but still tense mood. Amid this bleakness is the unexpected sweetness of the second movement (Largo) as Vivaldi portrays the longings of being home cuddled with loved ones around the fireplace.  

Listen: Antonio Vivaldi, ‘Winter’ Concerto (Movement I, Allegro non molto and Movement II, Largo) from ‘The Four Seasons’ Suite.