- Antonio Vivaldi - Composer style: Baroque (Late) - Born: March 4, 1678 in Venice, Italy - Followed by 4057 users - Top Work: The Four Seasons (Le Quattro Stagioni).
- Van Swieten's libretto was based on extracts from the long English poem ' The Seasons ' by James Thomson (1700–1748), which had been published in 1730. Whereas in The Creation Swieten was able to limit himself to rendering an existing (anonymous) libretto into German, for The Seasons he had a much more demanding task.
The Four Seasons: A Guide To Vivaldi’s Radical Violin Concertos. Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, Beethoven’s Fifth and yes, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.Like those other seismic cultural. 'Seasons in the Sun' is the story of a dying man, bidding farewell to loved ones who have shared his life. Shortly before Terry's recording came out, Jacques Brel retired, at the peak of his popularity. Fans around the world were stunned, but the composer would give no reason. Composer of 'The Seasons' is a crossword puzzle clue. Clue: Composer of 'The Seasons' Composer of 'The Seasons' is a crossword puzzle clue that we have spotted 2 times. There are related clues (shown below).
The Seasons | |
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by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky | |
Portrait of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky by Nikolai Dimitriyevich Kuznetsov | |
Native name | Времена года |
Catalogue | Op. 37a, Op. 37b |
Genre | Piano suite |
Movements | 12 |
The Seasons, Op. 37a[1] (also seen as Op. 37b; Russian: Времена года; published with the French title Les Saisons), is a set of twelve short character pieces for solo piano by the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Each piece is the characteristic of a different month of the year in Russia. The work is also sometimes heard in orchestral and other arrangements by other hands. Individual excerpts have always been popular – Troika (November) was a favourite encore of Sergei Rachmaninoff,[2] and Barcarolle (June) was enormously popular and appeared in numerous arrangements (for orchestra, violin, cello, clarinet, harmonium, guitar and even mandolin).
Background[edit]
The Seasons was commenced shortly after the premiere of Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto, and continued while he was completing his first ballet, Swan Lake.[3]
In 1875, Nikolay Matveyevich Bernard, the editor of the St. Petersburg music magazine Nouvellist, commissioned Tchaikovsky to write 12 short piano pieces, one for each month of the year. Bernard suggested a subtitle for each month's piece. Tchaikovsky accepted the commission and all of Bernard's subtitles, and in the December 1875 edition of the magazine, readers were promised a new Tchaikovsky piece each month throughout 1876. The January and February pieces were written in late 1875 and sent to Bernard in December, with a request for some feedback as to whether they were suitable, and if not, Tchaikovsky would rewrite February and ensure the remainder were in the style Bernard was after. March, April and May appear to have been composed separately; however the remaining seven pieces were all composed at the same time and written in the same copybook, and evidence suggests they were written between 22 April and 27 May. The orchestration of Swan Lake was finished by 22 April, leaving the composer free to focus on other music; and he left for abroad at the end of May. This seems to put the lie to Nikolay Kashkin's published version of events, which was that each month the composer would sit down to write a single piece, but only after being reminded to do so by his valet.[1]
The epigraphs that appeared on publication of the pieces were chosen by Bernard, not by Tchaikovsky. In 1886 the publisher P. Jurgenson acquired the rights to The Seasons and the piece has been reprinted many times.[1]
Tchaikovsky did not devote his most serious compositional efforts to these pieces; they were composed to order, and they were a way of supplementing his income. He saw the writing of music to a commission as just as valid as writing music from his own inner inspiration; however, for the former he needed a definite plot or text, a time limit, and the promise of payment at the end. Most of the pieces were in simple ABA form, but each contains a minor melodic masterpiece.
Four Seasons Composer Antonio Vivaldi
The 12 pieces with their subtitles are:
- January: At the Fireside (A major)
- February: Carnival (D major)
- March: Song of the Lark (G minor)
- April: Snowdrop (B-flat major)
- May: Starlit Nights (G major)
- June: Barcarolle (G minor)
- July: Song of the Reaper (E-flat major)
- August: Harvest (B minor)
- September: The Hunt (G major)
- October: Autumn Song (D minor)
- November: Troika (E major)
- December: Christmas (A-flat major)
Orchestral and other arrangements[edit]
A number of musicians have orchestrated Tchaikovsky's pieces. Aleksandr Gauk arranged The Seasons for symphony orchestra in 1942. A Czech composer Václav Trojan did so as well. [4]Morton Gould retained the piano part for many of the pieces and orchestrated the work throughout, recording it with himself at the piano in 1951 for American Columbia.[5] In 1965, Kurt-Heinz Stolze orchestrated a number of the pieces as part of the music for John Cranko's balletOnegin. More recent orchestral versions have been produced by David Matthews (1989, for symphony orchestra),[6]Peter Breiner (for solo violin and symphony orchestra), and Georgii Cherkin (for solo piano and symphony orchestra). French composer Philippe Sarde arranged the Barcarolle as a main theme for the 1988 movie The Bear. Aleksandr Gedike made an arrangement for piano trio.[5]Slava and Leonard Grigoryan recorded an arrangement of The Seasons for two guitars, in 2011 (arranged by their father Eduard Grigoryan). In 2011, Sergei Abir created a new orchestra version. And in 2020, Jessie Montgomery and Jannina Norpoth premiered a new arrangement with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall on January 25, 2020, under the direction of Vadim Gluzman.[7]
Poetic epigraphs[edit]
Following is a translation of some of the poetic epigraphs contained in the Russian edition (all chosen by the publisher Nikolay Bernard):
- Janvier (January): Au coin du feu (At the Fireside)
- January
- A little corner of peaceful bliss,
- the night dressed in twilight;
- the little fire is dying in the fireplace,
- and the candle has burned out.
- (Alexander Pushkin)
- Février (February): Carnaval (Carnival)
- February
- At the lively Mardi Gras
- soon a large feast will overflow.
- (Pyotr Vyazemsky)
- Mars (March): Chant de l'alouette (Song of the Lark)
- March
- The field shimmering with flowers,
- the stars swirling in the heavens,
- the song of the lark
- fills the blue abyss.
- (Apollon Maykov)
- Avril (April): Perce-neige (Snowdrop)
- April
- The blue, pure snowdrop — flower,
- and near it the last snowdrops.
- The last tears over past griefs,
- and first dreams of another happiness.
- (A. Maykov)
- Mai (May): Les nuits de mai (Starlit Nights)
- Mai
- What a night! What bliss all about!
- I thank my native north country!
- From the kingdom of ice, from the kingdom of snowstorms and snow,
- how fresh and clean May flies in!
- (Afanasy Fet)
- Juin (June): Barcarolle (Barcarolle)
- June
- Let us go to the shore;
- there the waves will kiss our feet.
- With mysterious sadness
- the stars will shine down on us.
- (Aleksey Pleshcheyev)
- Juillet (July): Chant du faucheur (Song of the Reaper)
- July
- Move the shoulders,
- shake the arms!
- And the noon wind
- breathes in the face!
- (Aleksey Koltsov)
- Août (August): La moisson (Harvest)
- August
- The harvest has grown,
- people in families cutting the tall rye down to the root!
- Put together the haystacks,
- music screeching all night from the hauling carts.
- (A. Koltsov)
- Septembre (September): La chasse (Hunting)
- September
- It is time! The horns are sounding!
- The hunters in their hunting dress
- are mounted on their horses;
- in early dawn the borzois are jumping.
- (A. Pushkin, Graf Nulin)
- Octobre (October): Chant d'automne (Autumn Song)
- October
- Autumn, our poor garden is all falling down,
- the yellowed leaves are flying in the wind.
- (Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy)
- Novembre (November): Troïka (Troika)
- November
- In your loneliness do not look at the road,
- and do not rush out after the troika.
- Suppress at once and forever
- the fear of longing in your heart.
- (Nikolay Nekrasov)
- Décembre (December): Noël (Christmas)
- December
- Once upon a Christmas night
- the girls were telling fortunes:
- taking their slippers off their feet
- and throwing them out of the gate.
- (Vasily Zhukovsky)
References[edit]
- ^ abcTchaikovsky Research
- ^Swan, Katherine; Swan, A. J. (April 1944). 'Rachmaninoff: Personal Reminiscences – Part II'. The Musical Quarterly. 30 (2): 174–191. JSTOR739451.
He had to answer numberless curtain calls and play more encores: the Troika of Tchaikovsky, ..
- ^Alexander Poznansky, Tchaikovsky: The Quest for the Inner Man
- ^https://www.shazam.com/track/432501932/the-seasons-op-37-arr-václav-trojan-viii-august-harvest
- ^ abhttp://en.tchaikovsky-research.net/pages/The_Seasons:_Recordings#Arrangements
- ^https://www.fabermusic.com/repertoire/seasons-the-2451
- ^https://orpheusnyc.org/event/vadim-gluzman-carnegie/
External links[edit]
- The Seasons: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
Conductor and Violinist Rachell Ellen Wong leads the Seattle Symphony for the complete performance for Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons How to sync contacts in iphone to gmail new. , on Thursday, October 22, 2020 at 7:30pm on Seattle Symphony Live.
ANTONIO VIVALDI
Le quattro stagioni (“The Four Seasons”), Op. 8, Nos. 1-4
La primavera (“Spring”), RV 269 Allegro—Largo—Allegro: Danza pastorale
L'estate (“Summer”), RV 315 Allegro non molto—Adagio—Presto
L'autunno (“Autumn”), RV 293 Allegro—Adagio molto—Allegro
L'inverno (“Winter”), RV 297 Allegro non molto—Largo—Allegro
BORN: March 4, 1678 in Venice, Italy
DIED: July 28, 1741 in Vienna, Austria
WORK COMPOSED: 1716–1725
Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) famously said, “There are no words, there is only music there.” And yet, ironically, Vivaldi’s best-known work, Le Quattro stagioni (“The Four Seasons”), Op. 8, Nos. 1–4, is based upon a series of sonnets. These concerti can arguably be considered among the first truly programmatic pieces; that is, music that tells or follows a narrative. Although Vivaldi composed a wide range of genres, his concerti endure as one of his greatest contributions to the Western classical canon.
Vivaldi lived and worked in Baroque Venice. He was an ordained Catholic priest as well as a composer. For nearly thirty years he taught music and composed for an orphanage in the town, named Ospedale della Pietà. Vivaldi crafted an immense œuvre of concerti during this period, exploring the potential of conversations between soloist and orchestra. Although he did not compose The Four Seasons for the orphanage, the works were undoubtedly influenced by his compositions from that period.
Vivaldi composed The Four Seasons between 1716 and 1725. A typical Vivaldi concerto includes three movements, but there is only one sonnet to accompany each of the seasons. As a result, the sonnet breaks into three sections to follow the individual movements. As you listen to these concerti, let your imagination wander and fill with images. The first movement ofLa primavera (“Spring”), RV 269, arguably the most famous of Vivaldi’s works, reads: “Springtime is upon us. The birds celebrate her return with festive song, and murmuring streams are softly caressed by the breezes. Thunderstorms, those heralds of Spring, roar, casting their dark mantle over heaven. Then they die away to silence, and the birds take up their charming songs once more.” Many cues in this sonnet appear in the music, such as the celebrating bird in the solo violin and the murmuring streams in the string accompaniment. The second movement continues: “On the flower-strewn meadow, with leafy branches rustling overhead, the goat-herd sleeps, his faithful dog beside him.” In this Largo, pay attention to the branches rustling overhead in the ensemble and the slow breathing of the faithful dog. The final movement brings the frivolity and joy of spring: “Led by the festive sound of rustic bagpipes, nymphs and shepherds lightly dance beneath the brilliant canopy of spring.”
Following the whimsical wonders of spring is the intense heat and fierce thunderstorms found in L’estate (“Summer”), RV 315. The first movement begins with a slow introduction that reflects the opening lines of the sonnet: “Beneath the blazing sun’s relentless heat, men and flocks are sweltering, pines are scorched.” When the solo violin enters, however, the piece suddenly becomes fast and furious. During this movement, listen for the violin imitating the sounds of birds and Vivaldi’s subtle transition to the promise of a storm: “We hear the cuckoo’s voice; then sweet songs of the turtle dove and finch are heard. Soft breezes stir the air, but threatening north winds sweeps them suddenly aside. The shepherd trembles, fearful of violent storms and what may lie ahead.” The brief second movement features a slow meditation, highlighting the shepherd’s anxiety: “His limbs are now awakened from their repose by fear of lightning's flash and thunder's roar, as gnats and flies buzz furiously around.” Following this moment of reflection, the dramatic third movement brings the storm: “Alas, his worst fears were justified, as the heavens roar and great hailstones beat down upon the proudly standing corn.” Listen for the solo violin mimicking the rain pouring down while the accompanying orchestra plays bursts of thunder and lightning.
Seasons Composer
The subsequent concerto, L’autunno (“Autumn”), RV 293, celebrates the harvest with rousing dances and hunts. Listen for a lively dance in the first movement depicting the end of the harvest and the solo violin mimicking an overflowing cup of wine: “The peasant celebrates with song and dance for the harvest safely gathered in. The cup of Bacchus flows freely and many find their relief in deep slumber.” In contrast, the second movement brings peace and sleep: “The singing and the dancing die away as cooling breezes fan the pleasant air, inviting all to sleep without a care.” Vivaldi paints this serene picture with a slow tempo and harmonious chords. All instruments move together — including the solo violin — to transport listeners into a tranquil state. The third movement, however, features an exhilarating hunt: “The hunters emerge at dawn, ready for the chase, with horns and dogs and cries. Their quarry flees while they give chase. Terrified and wounded, the prey struggles on, but, harried, dies.” Listen for the strings imitating hunting horns, guns and dogs while the solo violin leads the chase.
Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons concludes with biting winds and idyllic images by the fire in L’inverno (“Winter”), RV 297. Imagine the brisk chill of winter upon you in the joyful first movement: “Shivering, frozen mid the frosty snow in biting, stinging winds; running to and fro to stamp one’s icy feet, teeth chattering in the bitter chill.” The runs in the solo violin perfectly encapsulate the brisk chill found in the air. In contrast, the second movement transfers indoors: “To rest contentedly beside the hearth, while those outside are drenched by pouring rain.” The solo violin presents a lyrical, reflective melody as the strings play simple accompaniment underneath. Vivaldi layers images in this movement, adding plucking strings in the background as a subtle nod to the rain outside. The final movement of tonight’s program is a fast and frenzied depiction of winter’s dangers: “We tread the icy path slowly and cautiously, for fear of tripping and falling. Then turn abruptly, slip, crash on the ground and, rising, hasten on across the ice lest it cracks up. We feel the chill north winds course through the home despite the locked and bolted doors. This is winter, which nonetheless brings its own delights.” The solo violin begins with runs before the strings join in for an ominous illustration of cracking ice and bracing winds. The concerto concludes with the solo violin scampering indoors in attempts to escape the winter frigidity.
Scored for solo violin; harpsichord; theorbo; strings
© 2020 Megan Francisco
Posted on October 15, 2020 License key for office mac.