This is winter, which nonetheless brings its own delights. We feel the chill north winds coarse through the home despite the locked and bolted doors… Then turn abruptly, slip, crash on the ground and, rising, hasten on across the ice lest it cracks up. We tread the icy path slowly and cautiously, for fear of tripping and falling. To rest contentedly beside the hearth, while those outside are drenched by pouring rain. Running to and fro to stamp one’s icy feet, teeth chattering in the bitter chill. Shivering, frozen mid the frosty snow in biting, stinging winds See if you can recognize the scenes as they are brought to life in the music. Below is a translation of the Winter sonnet, along with a performance by the Early Music ensemble Voices of Music. Many composers have written pieces inspired by nature, but somehow The Four Seasons has captured the public’s imagination like none other.Įach composition is accompanied by a sonnet, written by Vivaldi himself, which describes the scenes depicted in the music. And of course, nature is a theme that resonates with nearly everyone. What makes them so popular? They are certainly catchy, though there is also a note of melancholy that runs through each of them, especially in the slow movements. But Vivaldi’s compositions rose above the typical programme music of the day, creating a quartet of classics that are still heard today. They were what was known as “programme music”, or music written to depict specific scenes, which was looked down upon by some at the time. Antonio Vivaldi published his famous group of violin concertos, The Four Seasons, in 1768 at the age of forty-seven.
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