The Seasons of Classical Music

A look at the four seasons of classical music and how they each have something special to offer music lovers.

The four seasons

The Four Seasons (Italian: Le quattro stagioni) is a group of four violin concerti by Antonio Vivaldi, each of which gives musical expression to a season of the year. They were written around 1716–1717 and published in 1725 in Amsterdam, together with eight additional concerti, as Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione (The Contest Between Harmony and Invention).

Vivaldi

The four seasons, composed by Antonio Vivaldi in 1723, is a set of four violin concerti that depict the seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Each concerto is associated with one of the four seasons and is accompanied by a poem that describes the natural scenery and moods evoked by that season. The concerti are among Vivaldi’s most popular works, and are widely performed and recorded today.

The four seasons- other composers

There are many classical pieces composed about the four seasons, but Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” is undoubtedly the most popular. While Vivaldi’s work is the most well-known, he is not the only composer to write music inspired by the seasons. Here are some other notable examples:

– Antonio Lucio Vivaldi, “The Four Seasons” (1723)
– Arcangelo Corelli, “The 12 Violin Sonatas” (1681)
– Frédéric Chopin, “Four Seasons” (1837)
– Joseph Haydn, “The Seasons” (1801)
– Sergei Prokofiev, “The Year 1941, Op. 90” (1944–1945)

The changing seasons

As the weather gets colder and the leaves start to fall, many people’s thoughts turn to thoughts of cosy firesides and comfort food. However, for classical music lovers, autumn is the start of the concert season. Here we look at some of the most popular classical pieces inspired by the changing seasons.

The four seasons- nature

The four seasons are spring, summer, autumn (US: fall), and winter.
In the temperate and subpolar regions, four seasons based on climatic changes are generally recognized: spring, summer, autumn or fall, and winter. These are demarcated by changes in the ambient temperature and precipitation. At the solstices, the days are longest and shortest, respectively; at the equinoxes, the days and nights are approximately equally long.

Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, succeeding winter and preceding summer. There can be variations in definition depending on local climate, cultures and customs. At the Spring Equinox, days grow longer than nights and temperatures gradually increase as the season progresses towards summer. In meteorology, spring refers to meteorological spring – which starts on 1 September in Australasia[1]and 1 March in Europe [2][3]and northeast Asia,[4][5]and different dates in other parts of the world – followed by meteorological summer (fall and winter in Australasia).[6][7]

Summer is one of the four temperate seasons, succeeding spring and preceding autumn (fall),[8]and isll defined as lasting between June 21[9][10]- September 23.[11][12] In North America it is occasionally considered to start earlier than June 21,[13][14] when both daylight hours and warmth increase; this definition falls under Meteorological Summer which lasts from May 2- September 7.[15] At the Summer Solstice, days grow longest and temperatures peak while at the Autumnal Equinox (or Fall Equinox), days begin to shorten again and temperatures start to cool as we transition into autumn/fall.[16] Meteorologically speaking however in most cultures summer begins when temperatures rise towards their highest point which falls on or near August 1 although heat waves can cause high temperatures peaking somewhat earlier or lasting somewhat longer. For instance parts of Australia define summer as lasting from December 1- February 28/29 while other parts define it as starting December 26- March 31.[17][18][19] In Brazil meanwhile summer begins on December 21 while in Ireland it’s considered to start May 1.[20][21],[22],[23],[24],[25],[26], The meteorological definition of summer however lasts from June 1- August 31[27] making it 3 months long with some variation depending on location just like all other seasons. Thedate June 21 is used because it usually occurs close to when peak sunshine hours occur for most northern hemisphere locations however due to quirks of local climate this isn’t always trueto a day especially closer to the poles where daylight hours can fluctuate more dramatically throughout then year. MeanwhileDecember 21 represents peak sunshine hours for most southern hemisphere locations although again due to quirks of climate this isn’t always true especially closer to t he poles where daylight hours can fluctuate more dramtically throughout then year .

Autumn or Fall,[28]the latter a direct translation from Old English feallan (“to fall”),[29]is one ofthe four temperate seasons,[30][31cf successor to summerand predecessor towinter.[32 ] In North America it is considered equivalenttothe Europeanseasonofautumn[33][34], while elsewhere aroundthe worldmarkingthe beginningofthis seasonvaries betweenthe months orexact datelossofSeptember(SouthernHemisphere) or March(NorthernHemisphere),with some definitio nspreferringa two-month lengthofseptemberand November(SouthernHemisphere)orMarchandMay(NorthernHemisphere).[35

The four seasons- other interpretations

In recent years, a number of contemporary classical composers have written pieces inspired by the seasons, often with innovative takes on the traditional four-season model. Here are four examples.

Max Richter’s “Sleep” is an eight-hour composition the British composer wrote as “a personal lullaby for a frenetic world,” according to his website. The piece is divided into four parts, each representing a season. In an interview with The New York Times, Richter said he composed the work with the idea that it could be played continuously through the night, with each season bleeding into the next.

American composer John Luther Adams’ “Inuksuit” is an open-air work for between nine and 99 percussionists that can be performed in any season. Adams said he was inspired by the sight of Inuit hunters spreading out across the tundra in search of game. He has described the work as a “soundscape” that seeks to create a sense of place rather than tell a specific story.

Wales-based composer Karl Jenkins’ “The Peacemakers” is a choral work based on texts from religious leaders including Pope Francis, the Dalai Lama and Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. The work is divided into four movements, each representing a season: spring (hope), summer (joy), autumn (compassion) and winter (peace).

Finally, Therese Anne Fowler’s novel “Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald” tells the story of one of America’s most famous Jazz Age couples from Zelda’s perspective. The book is divided into four sections, each corresponding to a season in their tumultuous relationship: spring (1918-1920), summer (1920-1922), fall (1922-1924) and winter (1924-1930).

The seasons of life

There are four seasons in the year, and each one has a different effect on our lives. The same can be said for the seasons of classical music. Each season has a different feel and a different effect on our emotions. Winter is a time for reflection, and the music of winter reflects this.

The four seasons- life stages

It is interesting to note that the four seasons also correspond to the four stages of life: Spring is birth and youth, Summer is adulthood, Fall is middle age, and Winter is old age. Just as there are different activities appropriate for each season, so too are there different activities appropriate for each stage of life.

During the springtime of life, we are like new plants sprouting from the ground. We are young and full of energy, eager to explore the world and learn new things. This is a time for growth and for taking risks. We make mistakes, but we learn from them and become stronger.

As we move into summer, we reach our prime. We are at our best physically, mentally, and emotionally. We are confident and productive, able to accomplish great things. This is a time for work and for contributing to the world around us.

As autumn approaches, we begin to slow down. Our physical strength declines and we may start to experience some health problems. Our minds may not be as sharp as they once were and we may have difficulty learning new things. We may look back on our lives with some regret, wishing we had done things differently. But autumn can also be a time of great beauty, like the leaves turning color before they fall from the trees.

Finally, winter comes and with it the end of life. We become more frail and suffer more illness. Our memories fade and we may lose touch with reality. But even in winter there can be moments of great joy, like spending time with grandchildren or seeing the beauty of a snowfall.

Just as each season has its own unique character, so too does each stage of life. And just as it is important to appreciate the beauty of each season, so it is important to appreciate the beauty of each stage of life, even when it includes sorrow or pain.

The four seasons- other perspectives

In the Baroque era, the concerto grosso was a popular form. A concerto grosso is a piece of music written for a small group of instruments, called the concertino, with the rest of the orchestra providing accompaniment, called the ripieno. An important figure in this genre was Antonio Vivaldi, who wrote The Four Seasons, a set of four violin concerti each inspired by and depicting a different season.

As the concerto grosso evolved, composers began to write solo concerti in which the entire orchestra accompanied a single instrument. Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel were both masterful composers in this genre. In the Romantic era, composers like Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Antonín Dvořák continued to write works inspired by nature, including The Seasons and The Four Seasons, respectively.

Today, classical music is still being composed that draws its inspiration from nature. Eric Whitacre’s Five Hebrew Love Songs sets five poems about love in different seasons to music, while Christopher Tin’s Songs from Distant Earth pays tribute to our planet with pieces inspired by Earth’s natural beauty.