<p dir="ltr">Primavera, from The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi</p>
<strong><strong>Michael Brandon Seals
J. Lauer, Huma 1302 12:00 p.m.- 1:20 p. m.
<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Arcimboldo_Giuseppe__Spring_1563_oil_on_wood_Real_Academia_de_Bellas_Artes_de_San_Fernando_Madrid1.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2766 aligncenter" src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Arcimboldo_Giuseppe__Spring_1563_oil_on_wood_Real_Academia_de_Bellas_Artes_de_San_Fernando_Madrid1-249x300.jpg" alt="" width="249" height="300" /></a>
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<p style="text-align: center;" dir="ltr">Spring (1573) By Giuseppe Arcimboldo</p>
<p style="text-align: center;" dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tisselly/6159729217/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/tisselly/6159729217/</a></p>
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The Primavera (translated as springtime in italian) is a concerto from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, and just might be one of the most recognized pieces of classical music of the modern day, and whether you know it by name or melody, it has come to epitomise the Baroque style as well as providing insight as to the popular musical taste and technology of the era. Since it’s debut it has become a benchmark not only of baroque music but as well as to what defines a concerto in general, and for this reason it deserves to be preserved for generations to come.<!--more--></strong>

It was during the beginnings of the eighteenth century as early keyboard type instruments such as the harpsichord and fortepiano began to evolve into the piano, and as the renaissance harmonies gradually gave way to the baroque concertos, many were seeking to expand and order the music of their time as well as experiment and distance themselves from the classical voice accompaniments and harmonies that came to define the renaissance period. Music styles began to change during this time and this work in particular seems to stand out from its peers, as well as attempt to define the culture and style of the era. In order to better understand the work, lets first set out to define the vernacular with which we can discuss, objectify and articulate the merits of Primavera in a proper and technical sense. A concerto is defined by Merriam-Webster as: “a piece for one or more soloists and orchestra with three contrasting movements” the contrast being the variations in tempos between the three. The Baroque period in music can be characterised by a general increase in complexity from previous era’s music as well as an increase in the popularity of keyboard instruments and the violin. (Sienna, Music and Drama) The baroque also became to be defined by its concertos, just as works of the renaissance era were epitomised by their harmonious choruses.  It was during the early and middle parts of the 1700’s, as concertos became more prevalent and as concert music became to be favored to dance music and opera, that the concerto began to be seen as a “proper” form of composition.

Vivaldi has the distinction of being popular and well received in his own time, and owing to the newness of the form during this time there were no set guidelines as to what made up a concerto, “but by the time vivaldi finished the more than 500 concertos attributed to him a standard form had emerged that many other composers would imitate” (Sienna, Music and Drama) this being said Primavera as well as Vivaldis other concertos would become a footprint to the transition from renaissance classic to baroque, the benchmark for what defines a concerto and a paradigm that has inspired countless works to date.

The first modern recording of Primavera is believed to be from an acetate of a french radio broadcast dated 1939 (Pearl) and since having a confirmed total of only two as of 1952 to over 1,000 different recordings in 2011(unable to officially confirm). It has received numerous awards and acknowledgements including the French Grand Prix du Disque in 1950, as well as a Grammy hall of Fame in 2002. However no other merit  this work has received does better to illustrate the importance, monumentality and symbology that echos so evidently throughout the piece, than the prestigious National Recording Registry Award from the Library of Congress, awarded in  2003, this very prestigious award recognizes great works that need to be championed and preserved . Unfortunately the one piece of knowledge I was unable to ascertain from my research was why the piece has been played at every fancy dinner and wedding I have ever attended regardless of season.

If we were to compare Primavera, to another work that focuses on the subject of springtime, however this time from the visual spectrum. I am speaking of the work of  Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Giuseppe set out to capture the essences of the earth's seasons with his unique style of portrait painting, “growing” the composition entirely out of painted images of fruit, flowers, vegetables and other organic matter. In his painting entitled “Spring” (See picture at beginning of essay) we see the profile of a man from the chest up, and from his neck down he is composed of various foliage, grasses and vines, the puffy collars as were the style of the time are painted of sunflowers with the flesh being composed of roses and capped by a large bushy growth of popori-like flowers, the whole composition is framed in a wreath of springtime greenery, epitomizing what the painter thought of the essence of springtime. If we compare this work to Primavera we find that both works, in trying to capture “spring”, have instilled a general light and earthy feeling through the work and both seem to imbue the beholder with an overall feeling of carefreeness. However, if I had to use these works in a constructive way such as to convince or teach someone who had no concept of springtime. I feel that Primavera would be the better tool for communication due to the fact that instrumental music doesn't have a language barrier to cross. Where I feel like the visual medium is great at conveying knowledge and meaning it does not compare to the way music can impress a thought or emotion. Whereas the painting is dense with clues and themes of spring, Primavera is a clear and carefree composition on what the composer believed epitomised springtime and springtime activities.

Personally my reaction to the work at first was that of a familiar melody, especially as to how most of us have probably heard Primavera at least 100 times by this point in our lives, however as I delved deeper into the composition and began to look at it in its historical context, the work began to intrigue me, not only due to it's innovative nature as a concerto and influencing countless modern composers, but also in providing a look into the historic music instruments of the time. In the process of researching this paper I learned much about the advent of the keyboard and piano, which in turn made me think about the nature of music and culture in general and it reinforced the feeling that music and art, no matter which era, constantly seeks to define and reinvent itself. I was also not previously aware of the variation and progress music has had since the time of the Renaissance.

Primavera, being one of the best-known pieces of popular Baroque music as well as being a staple of violin concerto curriculum to the present day, it epitomises the era and renders a rare audible glimpse into a world hundreds of years old, when the new ideas, technologies and cultures we take for granted were still in their infancy. Primavera has much to teach us of the composers and music of times long past as well as having the ability of influence generations of great composers to come. The preservation of this lovely baroque concerto is of tantamount importance if we are to preserve any of our past for the future to learn from.

Arcimboldo,Giuseppe. Spring. 1573. Oil on canvas. Madrid.

Fiero. <a href="http://connect.mcgraw-hill.com/connect/hmEBook.do?setTab=sectionTabs">The Humanistic Tradition Vol 2</a>, 6th ed.

"The Four Seasons (Vivaldi)" Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.  11 October 2012 at 15:10. Web. 14 Oct. 2012.

Kimball, Carol, mezzo-soprano. Song: A Guide to Art Song Style and Literature. Milwaukee, WI. : Hal Leonard, 2006, c2005.

Kapilow, Robert. What Makes it Great? : Short Masterpieces, Great Composers.
Hoboken, N.J. : Wiley, c2011.

The New Grove Italian Baroque Masters : Monteverdi, Vivaldi, D. Scarlatti.
New York : W.W. Norton 1984. ( Author was not listed)

Pearl, GEMM #9151 CD
(contains earliest known primavera recording, unable to verify)

Wood, Sienna. Music and Drama
Theme and variations: New Perspectives in Musical History
<a href="http://www.siennasguidetomusic.com/Topics/drama.html">http://www.siennasguidetomusic.com/Topics/drama.html</a>

Harrison, John -Violin / Turizziani,Robert -Conductor. Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 8, RV 269, "La primavera" (Spring). 6 February 2000. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wichita_State_University">Wichita State University</a>.
<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:01_-_Vivaldi_Spring_mvt_1_Allegro_-_John_Harrison_violin.ogg">http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:01_-_Vivaldi_Spring_mvt_1_Allegro_-_John_Harrison_violin.ogg</a>

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