Classics Explained: VIVALDI - The Four Seasons (Siepmann)

Format:

Sound recording

Contributor:

Vivaldi, Antonio, Composer.

Naxos Digital Services US.

Series:

Naxos Spoken Word Library.

Naxos Spoken Word Library

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Spoken Word.

Local Subjects:

Spoken Word.

Genre:

Video recordings.

Sound recordings.

Physical Description:

1 online resource.

Place of Publication:

Hong Kong : Naxos Digital Services US Incorporated, 2001.

System Details:

Mode of access: Available online.

Contents:

Introduction: Opening, upward-pointing figure ( 01 min., 33 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Answering, downward figure completes the phrase ( 22 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Beginning of dialogue ( 25 sec. ) / Vivaldi

The nature of musical conversation; repetition; ' echo ' effect ( 01 min., 26 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Upward pointing to one ' target ' note ( 40 sec. ) / Vivaldi

' Answer ' points to two, downward notes ( 11 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Same idea repeated 3 times ( 19 sec. ) / Vivaldi

The first Solo section: birdsong from three soloists, not one ( 01 min., 53 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Repeat of ' two-pronged ' theme in orchestra ( 22 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Orchestra depicts murmuring stream, but still there's no real melody ( 51 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Further illustrative ' water studies ' ( 32 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Orchestra erupts into thunderstorm ( 27 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Orchestral thunder, virtuosic ' lightning ' from soloist - but still no ' tune ' ( 54 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Soloistic ' birds ' return to the air ( 41 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Variant of opening theme, with ' argument ' between two notes, one high, one low ( 25 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Cue to First Movement ( 20 sec. ) / Vivaldi

First Movement (Complete) ( 03 min., 29 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Scene setting and Main Theme of Second Movement ( 01 min., 56 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Analytical comment and Main Theme again ( 57 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Main Theme varied ( 41 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Further variation, tracing slow, descending scale-steps ( 43 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Analytical discussion of ' pace ' and ' tempo ' ; further variant of main theme ( 02 min., 51 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Vivaldi springs a surprise, reversing direction and heightening tension ( 44 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Analytical cue to Second Movement ( 44 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Second Movement (Complete) ( 02 min., 35 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Undercover ' bagpipes ' initiate the finale ( 01 min., 05 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Second part of Main Theme: new notes, same rhythm ( 18 sec. ) / Vivaldi

An ' echo ' with a difference ( 23 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Reminder of ' echoed ' phrase in its original form ( 12 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Surprise variant provides springboard into new descending four-note pattern ( 19 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Unexpected, ' flowing ' entrance of soloist ( 36 sec. ) / Vivaldi

The use of ' sequence ' in first extended solo ( 01 min., 21 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Vivaldi prepares expectation... ( 19 sec. ) / Vivaldi

... and frustrates it by bringing in a new theme, using his four-note ' motto ' ( 01 min., 07 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Violins accompanied by flowing ' commentary ' in lower strings ( 34 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Soloist returns with new variant ( 36 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Pace slows as violins trace another four-note scalewise descent ( 24 sec. ) / Vivaldi

The peasants return with the main theme, which turns unexpectedly downward ( 47 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Intensification as harmonies change under broad, descending four-note ' motto ' ( 37 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Mini-earthquake transformed into harmonic landslide ( 46 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Critical mood-change in soloist's lonely soliloquy ( 42 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Cue to restoration of main theme in its entirety as the movement ends ( 22 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Third Movement (complete) ( 04 min., 15 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Scene setting and opening of First Movement ( 34 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Expanded groups of answering phrase ( 24 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Upper and lower strings alternately succumb to lethargy ( 49 sec. ) / Vivaldi

As in ' Spring ', soloist enters with birdsong ( 34 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Orchestra hijacks soloist's material ( 40 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Soloist returns,first as turtle-dove, then as goldfinch ( 50 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Gentle breezes give away to North Wing ( 01 min., 03 sec. ) / Vivaldi

The storm subsides; soloist enters as weeping peasant boy ( 01 min. ) / Vivaldi

Movement ends as storm returns ( 17 sec. ) / Vivaldi

First Movement (complete) ( 05 min., 20 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Second movement opens with extremecontrasts ( 01 min., 34 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Second Movement (complete) ( 02 min., 28 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Stormy Weather; thunder ( 37 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Lightning from upper strings ( 22 sec. ) / Vivaldi

More lightning: ' heat ' lightning from violins, ' fork ' lightning from violas ( 24 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Torrential rain, depicted by entire orchestra ( 46 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Deferred entry of solo violin, in virtuoso vein ( 54 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Peasant's failing resolve as violin spirals down ( 21 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Nature triumphant; soloist draws on orchestra's 'rain' music ( 01 min., 35 sec. ) / Vivaldi

The peasant's capitulation ( 23 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Third Movement (complete) ( 03 min., 03 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Repetitiousness and folk music; the movement's opening ( 01 min., 17 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Secondary theme, a closely related development of the first ( 28 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Solo entry restates the opening theme, ' double-stopping ' ( 01 min., 05 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Unexpectedly, a new theme where a repeat might be expected ( 36 sec. ) / Vivaldi

The soloist as ' drunkard ' ( 45 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Further violinistic slips and slides ( 15 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Orchestra re-enters with main theme, but is interrupted by the drunkard ( 18 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Other drunks join in ' dialogue ' with the orchestra ( 01 min., 01 sec. ) / Vivaldi

The orchestral peasants continue their dancing, but things have changed ( 57 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Enter another drunk, courtesy of the virtuoso soloist ( 40 sec. ) / Vivaldi

The dance breaks up ( 38 sec. ) / Vivaldi

The drunkard interrupts again, then falls asleep, breathing heavily ( 56 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Conversation amongst the sober peasants leads to their final dance ( 24 sec. ) / Vivaldi

First Movement (complete) ( 04 min., 46 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Scene-setting for Second Movement ( 01 min., 08 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Second Movement (complete) ( 02 min., 45 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Similarities between the Third Movement and the First ( 01 min., 06 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Expectation and surprise: Vivaldi tacks on one bar too many ( 27 sec. ) / Vivaldi

A case of predictable unpredictablity: novelty and repetition ( 36 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Soloist's double-stopping depicts hunting horns ( 34 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Orchestra yields to unexpected display of virtuosity by soloist ( 38 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Soloist suddenly takes the part of the fleeing beast ( 25 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Symmetrical paralels with First Movement: ' beast ' / ' drunkard ' etc ( 47 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Death of the quarry, end of the movement ( 17 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Third Movement (complete) ( 03 min., 13 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Orchestral strings enter, part by part; soloist depicts the biting wind ( 01 min., 24 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Wind subsides and returns, tormenting the trudgers through the snow ( 53 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Soloist depicts snow flurries ( 27 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Soloist's flurries interrupted by six blasts of orchestral wind ( 32 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Teeth chattering, and with stamping feet, the travellers finally reach their goal ( 01 min., 54 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Cue to First Movement as a whole ( 11 sec. ) / Vivaldi

First Movement (complete) ( 03 min., 24 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Soloist's ' aria ' accompanied by pizzicato ' raindrops ' ( 37 sec. ) / Vivaldi

A sequence of simple scales, accompanied by opening rhythm ( 33 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Two scalewise ideas for the price of one: foreground and background ( 52 sec. ) / Vivaldi

New, rising scale-pattern unfurled with ever-greater breadth ( 36 sec. ) / Vivaldi

The pace increases eight-fold in concluding downwards scale ( 36 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Against an unvarying tempo, the pace is repeatedly varied ( 01 min., 03 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Foreground / Background ( 34 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Detailed discussion of foreground / background perceptions; analogies with speech ( 02 min., 14 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Second Movement (complete) ( 02 minutes, 19 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Scene-setting; soloist begins for the first time ( 47 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Soloist rises progressively, in sequence, decoratively outling chord of the home key ( 26 sec. ) / Vivaldi

First orchestral section; ace is halved; the undermining onset of chromaticism ( 47 sec. ) / Vivaldi

The walkers lose their balance and stylishly fall down ( 22 sec.

) / Vivaldi

Soloist returns as the original solitary walker and strides away from the others ( 23 sec. ) / Vivaldi

One tempo, two rates of speed: fast for the soloist, slow for the orchestra ( 01 min., 51 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Orchestra evokes the warm winds of the Sirocco ( 36 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Answering blast from the Borea, the could wind of the north; struggle for supremacy ( 01 min., 07 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Cue to final movement ( 23 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Third Movement (complete) ( 03 minutes, 08 sec. ) / Vivaldi

Participant:

Siepmann, Jeremy, Artist -- Vivaldi, Antonio, Composer

Notes:

Naxos Digital Services electronic collection.

Streaming audio.

Publisher Number:

0636943802823

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.