Music -- like any other art -- tells a story. In this case the story of life. You could analyze life by means of the four seasons through two main viewpoints; an absolute or a relative version. Vivaldi obviously chose the relative version.
Music is often composed in either a minor or mayor key. Vivaldis four seasons are composed in both, two seasons in minor, two in mayor.
If this music wouldnt refer to life itself, than any of the four seasons could be the start of the composition. But as it does refer to our life, it is logical that the concerto (and life) starts with spring. It is the season that represents birth, and this expressed in the concerto by a mayor key -- the joy of life. But then the next season, would this be again joyful or a serious and sober intermezzo before another more positive stage takes over?
In normal life, these four seasons represent the cyclical movement of time and climate. During springtime, the daylight increases every day, until the start of summer, The first day of June is when on the northern hemisphere the days start to shorten already. At the end of autumn they are on their lowest in amount of daylight that you receive. And on the first day of the winter, the amount of daylight increases again.
There are two ways to describe this cycle. In the first way the composer relates the climate changes to the average amount of daylight during a day. In this case spring and summer would be above average in daylight, where autumn and winter would be below average.
In the first case, the spring and summer could have been composed in mayor keys. The other seasons (autumn and winter) in minor keys. This would make sense to represent a calendar year in a normal life, but it wouldnt make sense in a lifetime. By sketching a lifetime, the summer years of life are tougher than spring and autumn. Spring is obviously because it is associated with birth and growth. Autumn because it is associated with rebirth; you have matured and you are welcomed with a new life when the burden of work, education and perhaps children is fading away.
In the second case, summer is the adversary phase after birth and growth. Although in the flower and power of your life, you are also to carry the heaviest baggage. During autumn you are again to rejoice life after which you are prepared for a tougher (winter) climate.
Of course, for the experienced ear, there is a lot more to recognize, but the main structure of the composition is set. In between you are free to imagine what you like ... Do you agree with Vivaldi or would you have composed the four seasons differently?
2006 Hans Bool
Hans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management tools. Have a look at some of our free management tools
Author:: Hans Bool
Keywords:: Vivaldi, four season, Cycles
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