Summer: Movement 3

By Antonio Vivaldi

Antonio Vivaldi

• Priest, Baroque composer, and virtuoso violinist• Born in Venice, Italy• Had several health problems including asthma that restricted him from playing wind instruments• Wrote approximately 110 concertos/sonatas• Financial status created ultimate downfall

Summer Mvt. 3

• Summer concerto is one of four concerto’s in Vivaldi’s set “Four Seasons”

• Four Seasons is arguably Vivaldi’s most famous work

• Summer concerto is a tale of an impending storm

• Storm is unleashed in 3rd mvt.

• Thunder shakes the opening of the 3rd movement with the lower strings furious repetition

• Lightning strikes as the higher strings come in with call and answers

• Lightning strikes everywhere as the mid strings join the high strings

• The orchestra coming in represents the torrential downpour of the storm

• The peasant (solo violin) tries to flee as the storm destroys everything around them

• The effort is in vein as the peasant is trapped under the storm’s wrath

• The storm dies down a bit and the orchestra as a whole plays in an uplifting manner. Elements of thunder and lightning can still be recognized in the lower strings. Perhaps this is only the eye of the storm?

• The storm returns relentlessly

• The peasant makes a last ditch effort to flee the storms fury as the soloist goes back and forth with the orchestra

• It is no use. The peasant succumbs to the storm in the final few seconds of the movement.