Winter also has a lot of fast runs in a row. In general could be said that the slow second movements from each concerto are technically a lot less demanding than the faster first and third movements.Īll Four Seasons are about of the same level, so I would recommend to start with the one that speaks to you most.Īs a violin teacher in general I would say that Summer has longer passages of fast and high runs compared to Spring. Which of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is the most difficult? And which is easiest to start with? What’s easy for you might be perceived as hard by someone else. Of course as violin players we all have our own strengths and weaknesses. Most of the sonatas and partitas are considered just as hard or even harder. Are you playing those? Then you’re definitely read to play Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.Īre you playing Bach’s sonatas and partitas? Then you’re ready to pick up Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Also works by violin virtuosos like Paganini and Wieniawski are generally considered more difficult. The big romantic violin concertos by Bruch, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Tschaikovsky are considered technically much harder than Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Pieces leading up to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons could be the Bach double concerto, Bach violin concerto in A minor, Accolay concerto in A minor and of course the easier concertos by Vivaldi like op 3 no 3 in G major and no 6 in A minor. Pieces of about the same level would be Beethoven’s violin romances, Haydn’s concerto in C major and Mozart’s concerto no 4 in D major.

Violin pieces that are just as difficult as Vivaldi’s Four Seasons What violin techniques and skills are required for playing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons? Position play The good news however is that if you know some position play, you can already play these pieces. The difficulty of these baroque violin concertos lies more in that they are very perfect and clean and that you can very easily hear if you are just slightly wrong. Of course they are monumental violin pieces, but technically they are nowhere as difficult as Paganini caprices or the Tschaikovsky concerto. You dream of playing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons might be closer than you think. How difficult are these violin concertos? Each violin concerto consists of three movements. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is a cycle consisting of four violin concertos, one for each season of the year. His tired limbs are roused from rest, frightened by the lightning bolts and roaring thunder, as flies and gnats swarm furiously.How to know if you’re ready to play Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on the violin Read this article to know if and when you can start practicing it Nigel Kennedy - Vivaldi 'Summer' 1st Movement:Ģnd Movement ('Summer') Adagio e piano - Presto e forte The little shepherd sobs in fear of the violent storm.and his destiny. Gentle western breezes blow.until the ominous north winds suddenly sweep them away. We hear the call of the cuckoo, followed by sweet songs of the turtle dove and finch. Under the harsh season's blazing sun, men and flocks languish and pines are scorched.

8, RV 315, 'L'estate' (Summer)ġst Movement ('Summer') Allegro non molto Read the 'Summer' sonnet and listen to each movement of The Four Seasons, Concerto No. Each sonnet is divided into three sections (fast, slow, fast), which correspond with the three movements in each concerto. Each of the four concerti is based on a sonnet -supposedly written by Vivaldi himself. Comprised of four violin concertos written by Antonio Vivaldi in 1723, The Four Seasons is probably the Baroque composer's best-known work.

Vivaldi summer