Bundling Up for Vivaldi's Violin Concerto No. 4 in F minor, RV 297, "Winter" (The Four Seasons)
II. Largo
Violin Concerto No. 4 in F minor, RV 297
Hello, I'm Antonio Vivaldi, and I'm about to explain the II. Largo movement of my "Winter" concerto. You'll hear the solo violin sing one long, calm melody over the soft plucking of the other violins, which stands for rain falling outside while someone sits warm indoors. My fellow composers and I also teach you on this site to recognize our pieces when they play, so if you feel ready, test yourself in the Trainer .
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Put Your Feet Up And Count The Drops
Here's how I'd listen to this movement: keep your ear on two layers, the raindrops underneath and the singing line on top. The violins of the orchestra pluck their strings with their fingers, and that gives you the light, dry drops that keep falling quietly all the way through. Above them the solo violin sings one long melody that never seems to need a breath, while the violas, cellos and basses add a soft cushion below. If you can hear the drops and the song at the same time, you've understood the whole movement, and it feels a bit like watching rain from a window with a good book.Why It Is Simply Called Largo
Largo is a tempo marking, and it asks the players to go slowly and broadly, with plenty of room around every note. I chose it because the sonnet that goes with this concerto has three sections, one for each movement, and the middle one is about calm days indoors by the fire. It's possible that I wrote that sonnet myself, but nobody can say for sure. After the shivering of the first movement, a slow and wide tempo is the musical way of finally sitting down.A Tune That Leaves And Comes Back
Choosing the form for this movement was a short adventure, because I wanted nothing that would get in the way of the calm. So I skipped anything like a sonata or a rondo and built the movement around a single melody that appears, travels to a neighboring key, and returns. It begins in E-flat major, moves to B-flat major, and then comes home to E-flat major, which gives us three sections. I'll take them one by one in the next paragraphs, so you'll know where you are the whole way through.Section 1: The Tune Steps Out Of The House
The movement opens with a melody of eight bars, sung slowly by the solo violin over the plucked violins. It starts in E-flat major, which sounds warm and settled, quite unlike the icy F minor of the movements around it. By the end of those eight bars the melody has moved to B-flat major, so the ground shifts gently and without any jolt. The mood is contented and unhurried, like the moment you notice you're warm and decide not to move.Section 2: The Same Tune With A Few Frills
Now the melody returns, this time in B-flat major and with variations. That means I decorate the tune instead of repeating it exactly, so it feels familiar and yet a little different. The tempo stays Largo and the drops keep falling, so the mood stays at ease even though we're a step away from home. This is the place to listen for what the soloist adds, a bit like a friend retelling a favorite story with a few extra details.Section 3: Home Again, Slippers On
Then the music closes in E-flat major, the key where it began. The return feels like settling back into a favorite chair, and every note lands where you hope it will. The tempo is still Largo, so nothing hurries, and the rain still falls beneath the last phrases of the melody. When it ends, the next movement brings back F minor and the ice, so enjoy the warmth while it lasts.Press Play And Stay A While
Now I'd like you to try it for yourself. Press play, lean back, and let the slow melody carry you along. As you listen, remember the raindrops below, the song above, and the way the key leaves home and then comes back. I hope you enjoy walking through this Largo as much as I enjoyed writing it.---
I hope you enjoyed learning about the listen guide to the Largo from my "Winter" concerto, Violin Concerto No. 4 in F minor, RV 297, "Winter" (The Four Seasons). Now that you know what to listen for, put on a recording and let the plucked raindrops fall, while the solo violin sings its long melody above them. I think you'll find that the quiet warmth of this movement feels a little different each time you return to it. There's still plenty more to explore in this concerto, from the way the first movement shivers to the careful steps on the ice in the finale. The story behind how I wrote it and the other moments worth hearing are waiting for you too. So please click on the links on this page to keep exploring, and take your time with each one. I'd be glad to have you back for another listen.