Vivaldi wrote what is today his most famous piece, The Four Seasons, some time between 1720 and 1725. It is a set of four violin concertos each of which describes a different season of the year. The music is programmatic (that is, descriptive) in a very life-like way; it abounds in vivid imitations of twittering birds, chattering teeth, barking dogs, and a host of other sounds from nature. To this Vivaldi adds musical paintings of seasonal events, such as hunting in autumn, swatting flies in the summer, and curling up in front of the fire in the winter. Just in case we don’t recognize the allusions, he includes a poem with each concerto that describes the sights and sounds of each season.
It is no wonder that the The Four Seasons inspires children to draw, dance and play along with their own instruments. In every school gym the NAC Orchestra performs student matinee concerts the walls are decorated with delightful renditions of the seasons.
To learn more about Vivaldi's life, times and music download the Study Guide and Teacher Resource Kit available at ArtsAlive.ca
