The Four Seasons, composed in 1723, is one of Baroque legend Vivaldi's most famous works for violin. Here's a very special performance of one of the movements, from one of Europe's top chamber orchestras.
Vivaldi's music in films. Vivaldi's music isn't just a concert hall favourite; it's also been featured in many films. Listen out for his Concerto No. 8 from 'L'estro harmonica' in Indecent Proposal, 'The Four Seasons' in Pretty Woman (pictured), and 'Nulla in mundi pax sincera' in Shine. A.Vivaldi The Four Seasons for violin and piano “Winter” www.virtualsheetmusic.com. Start studying #Four Seasons, Spring by Vivaldi. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The Four Seasons is the best known of Vivaldi’s works. Unusually for the time, Vivaldi published the concerti with accompanying poems (possibly written by Vivaldi himself) that elucidated what it was about those seasons that his music was intended to evoke.
We usually associate Vivaldi with Venice and the Italian sun. However, an orchestra has taken 'Winter' from The Four Seasons and turned it into something quite different.
Play Four Seasons By Vivaldi Rose
The Arctic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra decided to perform this masterpiece in one of the most northern places on Earth, Telegrafbukta, Tromsø, deep above the Arctic Circle in Norway. The orchestra's Artistic Director and star violinist Henning Kraggerud performs the solo passages in a separate shot, filmed in the snow, ice and magical arctic light.
There's much more from the Arctic Philharmonic on their YouTube channel (the sound engineer for this incredible video was Asle Karstad, the video creator and editor was Håvard Bilsbak).
![Play Four Seasons By Vivaldi Play Four Seasons By Vivaldi](https://history.bulls.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/GettyImages-109744643-533x800.jpg)
More about these incredible concertos...
Vivaldi wrote so many concertos that, much like Haydn and his symphonies, he tended to resort to nicknames rather than numbers, for ease. Each concerto of his Four Seasons corresponds to a different season – so it's easy to guess how he nicknamed this particular work.
The music is accompanied by beautiful Italian sonnets, possibly written by Vivaldi himself after he was inspired by painter Marco Ricci's paintings of the seasons. It's even customary in some concerts that a narrator reads the poems before the performance, to bring the musical story to life.
Listen out for the texture of the music representing winter, with the high-pitched plucking from the strings sounding a bit like cold and icy rain. There are also more descriptive labels dotted throughout the movements: the second movement of Spring is part-labelled 'the barking dog', while one section of Autumn says 'the drunks have fallen asleep'. You might even hear a passionate thunderstorm in Summer, with the balmy music representing a warm August evening.
Spring and Summerare both part of Vivaldi’s landmark composition The Four Seasons. The piece was created as a set of four violin concertos. Vivaldi was a virtuoso violinist and violin teacher, so violin was always a big part of his compositions. As you would guess, the themes in the Four Seasons represent Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
The Four Seasons is not only Vivaldi’s most popular composition, but also one of the best-known of all classical themes. Learning how to play Spring on piano will give you a piece that will be recognized by music fans of all ages.
This is a very identifiable melody, and a piece that is great to play for friends and family. Even if they don’t don’t know who Vivaldi is, they will know this beautiful theme.
How to Play Spring on Piano
- Download this easy piano score here. It is at a level that a beginner could play, and includes the melody. A more challenging piano score can be found here.
- Watch this video that uses a MIDI display to let you see the notes used in the easy version as it plays. For the intermediate version, this audio recording is by the same person who created the score above.
The Presto section is commonly referred to as “the Storm” and is a great way to show-off a fast and aggressive playing style. We have only included an intermediate version of this section as it requires more technique to play.
How to Play Presto on Piano
- A nice piano score for an intermediate version of the piece can be found here. It would be challenging for a beginner, but it is a great arrangement so don’t be shy and give it a try.
- The video below is by the person who did the piano transcription and lets you see a bit more about how to perform the piece.
Practice Hints
If the piano parts seem too difficult, concentrate on mastering each hand separately. And remember that exercises in Intermediate Piano and Keyboard Method can help you to master hand independence and play with better dynamics.
Composer Profile
Classical Music Vivaldi 4 Season
Antonio Vivaldi is one of the world’s most popular Baroque-era composers. Even Johann Sebastian Bach, considered the most famous Baroque composer, has cited his influence. Born in Venice, Vivaldi had quite a life; ordained as a priest, he spent most of his time in Italy. The influence of his work was felt throughout Europe during this time. He then moved to Vienna, based on the promise of the Emperor. Unfortunately, after the Emperor passed away without giving Vivaldi a commission, Antonio died in poverty, and his works were somewhat ignored for many years.
Other Versions
Vivaldi’s music has been enjoyed by millions and has been re-arranged for everything from electronica to heavy metal. It’s been very popular in movies and TV as well.
These classic compositions were featured previously in an eMedia Spring/Summer newsletter. Sign up for the eMedia newsletter and the latest keyboard news and great deals on eMedia products.
Learn Piano Easier – Piano Lesson Software with an Interactive Difference
and eMedia Intermediate Piano and Keyboard Method deliver award-winning piano lesson software that features interactive technology to make learning how to play piano easier. The Animated Keyboard will show you which notes are to be played, and where they are on the piano keyboard. eMedia Performance Evaluation technology even listens to how you play a piece and shows you any notes that are played incorrectly. The piano curriculum was created with professional instructors who’ve taught at the renowned Juilliard School of Music so you can be confident that you are getting the most complete and consistent piano tutorial available. Play better piano today, with eMedia!
Click the product links to receive a 17% discount!