(The most famous and influential Italian composer in 18th century Antonio Vivaldi. The opus was published in1725. In addition to the solo violin, the score calls for an orchestra of strings and continuo. Duration is approximately 39 minutes.)
Spring has arrived, and merrily
The birds greet it with happy song;
And the brooks, at the breath of Zephyrs,
With sweet murmuring rush along.
Then, covering the air with a black cloak,
Come lightning and thunder selected to herald it,
Then, when they are silent, the little birds,
Return anew to their melodious enchantment.
And now in the pleasant flowery meadow,
to the soft murmur of boughs and grasses,
sleeps the goatherd, his faithful dog at his side.
To the festive sound of pastoral bagpipes
Nymphs and Shepherds dance under their
beloved sky at Spring’s sparkling arrival.
SUMMER
In the harsh season parched by the sun
man and flock languish, and the pine withers.
The cuckoo raises its voice and, when it’s heard,
the turtledove and goldfinch sing.
Zephyr blows sweetly, but, in contest,
Boreas suddenly moves nearby;
and the shepherd boy weeps, for, in suspense,
he fears the violent storm and his own fate.
His weary limbs are derived of rest
by fear of lightning and wild thunder,
and by the furious swarm of flies and bluebottles!
Unfortunately his fears are justified.
The sky fills with thunder and lightning,
and hail decapitates the proud stalks of grain
AUTUMN
The peasant celebrates with dance and song
the pleasures of the happy harvest.
And glowing with the wine of Bacchus,
many end their merrymaking with sleep.
The mild air that gives such pleasure
causes all to leave off dancing and singing;
it is the season that invites all and sundry
to the fair delights of sweet sleep.
The hunters, a-hunting at down,
Set out with horns, guns, and hounds.
The beast flees, they follow its tracks.
Already terrified and exhausted from the noise
of the gun and hounds, the wounded creature
tries weakly to flee, but is overcome and dies.
WINTER
Trembling, frozen, in the icy snow,
at the horrid wind’s harsh breath,
running while constantly stamping one’s feet,
and feeling the teeth chatter from the overwhelming cold.
Passing quiet and contented days by the fire
while outside the rain soaks people by the hundreds;
walking on the ice with slow steps
for fear of falling, turning cautiously;
Turning suddenly, slipping, falling down,
going on the ice again and running fast
until the ice breaks open;
Hearing, as they burst through the bolted doors,
Sirocco, Boreas, and all the winds at war.
This is winter, and it brings such joy!
