"Vivaldi: Four Seasons: Winter: 1" genre: Piano
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	WHISPERED & DEFIANT, Winter is the quietest of all the Seasons. The mesmerizing introduction consists of a slow pileup of bold chords. Solo passages increase in intensity, until they yield to a vigorous repeated-note section at 1:23, another well-known passage from the Seasons. The hushed tones resume, and we hear shivering, chattering, and trembling all lead to the rousing close.
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	Story Behind the Song *** About the Programmatic References *** Vivaldi published his Four Seasons accompanied by four descriptive sonnets, which functioned as musical aids to help the public in its listening experience. However, the music had been circulated for years without the verses. In my opinion they are useful for historical insights and trivia, but should be mostly forgotten after an initial reading. Here are the sonnet lines (translated from Italian) that Vivaldi attributes to the first movement of Winter. Numbers in brackets indicate the precise time in the music at which the words are associated. [0:00] To tremble from cold in the icy snow, [0:42] In the harsh breath of a horrid wind; [1:24] To run, stamping our feet at every moment, [2:47] Our teeth chattering in the extreme cold.

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