L’estate (Summer) from The Four Seasons, R. 315, P. 336, Op. 8 No. 2

While Vivaldi penned hundreds of concertos, he is most famous for the set of four grouped under the title Le quattro stagioni , or The Four Seasons. The work was popular in Europe throughout Vivaldi’s lifetime; as one critic wrote in 1740, “Who does not know the Four Seasons of Antonio Vivaldi?” Ironically, modern audiences didn’t—until the collection was revived during the 1960s. The Four Seasons presents a fascinating tension between the standard musical structure composers used during the Baroque era and Vivaldi’s creative instincts. All four concertos fulfill the basic requirements of the genre: they consist of three movements (fast—slow—fast) with ritornello (returning or repeating) sections for the orchestra and flashy solo passages. Sonnets published with each concerto drive the musical content, however. While it is unknown whether Vivaldi wrote the sonnets before or after the music, each poem has a three-part structure that corresponds nicely with the fast-slow-fast concerto form.

In the second concerto, L’estate (Summer), the opening Allegro con moto (Energetic, with motion) begins amidst oppressive heat. A few birds manage to sing cautiously despite the blazing sun, yet their halting calls fill the shepherd with dread. The second movement, Adagio e piano—Presto e forte (Slow and soft—Fast and loud), depicts the shepherd’s growing awareness that a violent storm is approaching. The storm arrives in the concluding Presto, with thunder, lightning, and violent hailstorms that flatten the ripened corn.