It’s officially autumn, meaning it’s time for pumpkin spice lattes, flannel shirts, and Vivaldi.
“Autumn” is the third concerto from the Italian composer’s “The Four Seasons,” which was originally published three hundred years ago in 1725. The innovative Baroque cycle employs vivid musical storytelling to recreate each of the seasons, accompanied by a corresponding sonnet. This would become one of the earliest examples of program music, a type of music that incorporates a narrative element.
For example, read the text for the first movement:
“Celebrates the peasant, with songs and dances,
The pleasure of a bountiful harvest.
And fired up by Bacchus’ liquor,
many end their revelry in sleep.”
As cdimatteo explains, “After the Villanelle dance is introduced in the first movement, the rest of the movement is a technical display for the solo violinist where the notes depict the drunken revelry of the country people, ending with them falling asleep.”
“The Four Seasons” has been a staple of stringed instrument literature for three centuries, and the instruments used have evolved significantly over that time. However, many historical music groups continue to perform the music as it was originally envisioned.
Today, we’re watching a performance of Vivaldi’s “Autumn” by the Netherlands Bach Society. This clip features violinist Shunske Sato performing the concerto with musicians on Baroque instruments, including the harpsichord and the theorbo. The theorbo is a plucked string instrument from the lute family that distinguishes itself with an extended neck and a second, longer neck featuring extra bass strings.
Follow along with the sheet music for “Autumn” from Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons.”
