Artist: Antonio Vivaldi
Title: Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Label: Jingo

"The Four Seasons" is four violin concertos, part of a set of 12 in "The Contest of Harmony and Invention" by Antonio Vivaldi, the world famous "Father of Concerto". These first four concertos are each named after a season. Each contains three movements, with a slow movement between two faster ones, to express distinct sceneries. Full of variations in chord and melody, this music stirs the imagination. Vivaldi mastered the characteristics of stringed instruments and ingeniously arranged solos to depict nature's unpredictability in the four seasons in life. Soft melodies like cheerful bird songs welcome the arrival of spring, then changing to annoying buzz and hum of insects. Then, suddenly, come the onslaught of summer rainstorms, as dramatic as any action movie. Concerto No. 3 in F major vividly describes the farmer's joy from abundant autumn harvests and hunting scenes. These records also enclose a beautiful Chinese and English sonnet that helps capture the countryside. --By James Su, translated by Mei Lee