Listening to the recording of “Spring”, first movement, by Vivaldi is an extreme pleasure for many individuals, and I am one of them. The chosen instruments perfectly imitate natural sounds, provoking the required emotions and causing the necessary effects. For example, violins are used to imitate a delightful birdsong and a murmuring stream. However, as soon as the tone is changed, the sounds of a thunderstorm and lightning could be heard due to the same instruments. In my opinion, all these sounds resemble the sounds of nature because, for a moment, I feel like I am in a forest, and spring welcomes me. Although many experts consider a flute as the best instrument to imitate birdsong, in this piece of art, a violin is a choice that makes the music Vivaldi’s work. It is possible to admit that flutes make natural sounds more believable; still, both a violin and a flute are good choices for a bird’s voice.
One of the remarkable features of the chosen concerti is the contrast between the solo violin and the violins of the whole orchestra. The solo violin stands out the most in the beginning when birdsong is performed and in the end when a lighting theme is introduced (Classical Concert Chamber Orchestra, n.d.). This contrast arouses a number of feelings and positive emotions, as well as the desire to stand up and do something at the moment. The solo violin completes the hardest work, existing as a short independent sparkle and co-existing in a group of similar instruments but never losing its priority functions. This movement remains one of the most popular and powerful works by Vivaldi, who set high standards for baroque composers.
Reference
Classical Concert Chamber Orchestra. (n.d.). Vivaldi, the four seasons, spring (la primavera), 1st movement [Video]. YouTube. Web.