The Four Seasons (Dover Miniature Scores: Orchestral)

Vivaldi’s violin concertos called “The Four Seasons” are among the best-known and most-loved collections of string music. Their programmatic nature, based on the lines of sonnets printed along with the music, brings seasonal sights and sounds readily and delightfully to the ear: the bird calls in “Spring,” the swarms of wasps in “Summer,” the hunters’ horns in “Autumn,” the winds and icy snow of “Winter.” Dr. Eleanor Selfridge-Field, a recognized authority on music of the Italian Baroque, has researched primary sources in Italy to prepare this specially commissioned, authoritative new edition. Together with its excellent scores — new music plates have been prepared to create an unusually pristine and elegant edition — the volume provides a thorough introduction to Vivaldi’s music and times, as well as a new English translation of the original sonnets (with a guide to their linear placement in the scores). The work appears here in full score, with bar-numbered movements. Ideal for study in the classroom, at home, or in the concert hall, this affordable, high-quality, conveniently sized volume will be the edition of choice for music students and music lovers alike.