Winter — Concerto No. 4 (The Four Seasons), 2nd movement

A. VivaldiOp. 8 No. 4, RV 297

Key

Eb

Time

C

Tempo

♩=50

AO focus

AO3

Form

Largo — central slow movement. Solo violin sings a long-breathed melody; pizzicato strings depict 'rain falling outside while we are warm by the fire' (Vivaldi's sonnet text). Famous for its tranquility amid the surrounding stormy fast movements.

Teaching points

• Pizzicato accompaniment — the violins drop their bows and pluck for the entire movement. Discuss texture choice
• Solo melody as cantabile — the violinist must sing through the bow over four-bar phrases
• AO3: programmatic stillness — within the storm of the Winter concerto, this central movement is contemplative shelter