ATL skills - Research skills, Critical thinking skills

Unit name: Art inspired by nature Global context: Personal and cultural expression
Key concept: Aesthetics Related concept: Interpretation
Statement of inquiry: The observation of nature leads to creative expression
Meaning of the SOI: The SOI means that paying more attention to nature around us and observing it carefully
can inspire us to express our feelings in the form of art. It tells us how nature can be the source of inspiration
for artists in creating artwork. This is due to the diversity and vastness of nature. Moreover, the observation of
nature can make artists realize the beauty of nature, which can lead to the creative expression of their own
interpretations of it. Also, the feeling of ‘awe’ that can be felt through the observation of nature can impact
one’s creativity.1 Nature often makes us awestruck by its beauty, vastness and unlimitedness. Thus, I feel
nature and music are closely related because just like how nature makes us awestruck by its wonder, music can
also make the listeners feel awestruck. Observing nature can make us feel so small that it makes small
problems that distress us seem insignificant. This can make us focus on things that are more valuable to us and
widen our perspective, allowing us to be more creative.

Questions
Factual How has nature been represented in art?

The emotions that the artists feel about nature have been represented in their artwork in many different ways.
For example, the distinctive characteristics of each season have been portrayed in the form of music by Antonio
Vivaldi in his The Four Seasons. Also, In Arrival of the Birds composed by The Cinematic Orchestra, the sound of
the birds had been represented through the strings that play ostinatos and arpeggios in high notes. Nature has
been represented as beautiful as well as powerful. Often, artists express the beauty of nature to appreciate it
while others also portray natural disasters to highlight the power of nature.

Conceptual To what extent does art inspired by nature encourage audiences to protect our
environment?

Art inspired by nature encourages audiences to protect the environment by making them aware of the
significance of nature. People tend to take care of things that they think matter to them. The more valuable
something becomes to someone, the harder he or she tries to protect it. Similarly, art inspired by nature can
make the audience realize the significance and beauty of nature. This can make the audiences appreciate the
existence of nature and make them protect the environment to sustain the beauty of nature. However, art
inspired by nature may play a limited role in encouraging audiences to protect the environment directly as it
does not give a sense of urgency to the audiences compared to other artworks that were created to persuade
the audiences to take action immediately. Instead of instilling a feeling of urgency, art inspired by nature often
makes the audience wonder or feel pleasant.

Debatable Does art imitate nature or vice versa?

I think nature exists as it is and thus, I do not think nature imitates art. Rather, nature can be seen in an artistic
way such as how we connect nature with art when we see the beauty of nature. For example, when we look at

1
Robson, David. “Awe: The 'Little Earthquake' That Could Free Your Mind.” BBC Worklife, BBC,
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220103-awe-the-little-earthquake-that-could-free-your-mind.

1
 colorful flowers, we think they are beautiful and artistic. However, it is not that flowers imitate art to look
beautiful; they exist as they should be. On the other hand, I think art can imitate nature and many artists
created artworks that imitate nature to convey the emotions that they felt from observing nature. For example,
in Spring composed by Vivaldi, the violins imitate the sound of birds and storms.
Introduction: “The Earth has music for those who listen.”2 As this quote from the poem The Magic of Sound
written by the poet Reginald Holmes suggests, the earth itself has music for those who listen. That includes but
is not limited to the chirping of birds and the dripping sound of rain. Likewise, music and nature are closely
related to one another. While nature creates its own sound of music constantly around us, many composers
have composed music pieces that imitate the sounds of nature and express the feelings they feel about nature.
As nature surrounds us constantly, it also inspires us many times. Artists are often inspired by the beauty of
nature as nature has the capability of making us realize the essence of life. Nature often makes us stop for a
while to appreciate its existence, especially as we live a bustling and busy life, surrounded by man-made
infrastructure. One of the most famous composers who composed music pieces inspired by nature is Antonio
Vivaldi. He composed The Four Seasons in which each season of the year has been portrayed with musical
instruments. To further explore how Antonio Vivaldi has used the elements of nature in his composition, I will
analyze the first movement of Spring composed by him.
Music composition analysis
Music composition to analyze: Vivaldi: Spring, from The Four Seasons (La primavera, from Le quattro stagioni),
1st movement I. Allegro
About the composition: The composition was published in 1725. It is one of the classical music which
represents the Baroque period. It is part of The Four Seasons which consists of Spring (La primavera), Summer
(L’estate), Autumn (L’autunno), and Winter (L’invero), each season consisting of a three-movement concerto.
Each season is based on a sonnet which describes each movement.
The following is the translated version of the prose for the first movement of Spring:
I. Allegro

In his dedication of Op. 8, Antonio Vivaldi described The Four

Seasons by saying, “... they are more substantial insofar as they
are accompanied by their sonnets, which contain an absolutely
clear declaration of all things which are depicted in these
works.”3
About the composer: Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was an
(Figure 1) - Glaza, Nicole. “Nicole Glaza.” Charlotte Symphony, Charlotte Italian Baroque composer and a great violinist. Vivaldi was also
Symphony Charlotte Symphony, 29 Dec. 2017,
https://www.charlottesymphony.org/blog/vivaldis-four-seasons-poems/.
engaged as a string teacher, and he also composed operas. He
composed sonatas and concertos for strings. Period: The Four
Seasons was composed during the Baroque (1600-1750) period. One of the key features of Baroque music is

2
“The Earth Has Music for Those Who Will Listen...” The Earth Has Music for Those Who Will Listen... – Stephane
BARTHELEMY, http://stephanebarthelemy.com/hello-world.
3
Eleanor Selfridge-Field, Eleanor. “‘The Four Seasons.’” Google Books, Google,
https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/The_four_seasons/nBJQAwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=vivaldi%2Bspring%2Bfo
ur%2Bseasons&printsec=frontcover.

2
layered melodies where the same notes are repeated. 4 Thus, this feature is also used in the Spring of The Four
Seasons.
What inspired the artist to compose Spring - Allegro?: The main inspiration for Vivaldi to compose ‘The Four
Seasons’ was the four sonnets on the Four Seasons. It is assumed that the sonnets were written by Vivaldi
himself. Although why Vivaldi composed and what inspired him to compose ‘The Four Seasons’ is not clear, it is
probably that his observations of distinctive characteristics of each season and the idea of expressing his
personal feelings from his observations in the form of music inspired him to compose ‘The Four Seasons’.
Expressing each season with details such as trills to imitate the birds could not have been possible without the
observation of birds.
Why did I choose this composition?: Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons is one of the most famous classical music
pieces that are still loved by many classical lovers. Even many of those who are not interested in classical music
know this composition, especially due to its unique melody. Therefore, I have known this composition for a
long time and was familiar with it. Thus, when I first thought of music composition inspired by nature, I thought
of this piece as it features nature in the four seasons, which can also be deduced from the composition title.
Also, as a violinist, I was attracted to this composition as it is played mostly by strings including the solo violin.
Also, I was able to connect the first movement of Spring with the season Spring and imagine each scene of the
sonnet vividly even without any visuals. I wanted to analyze this composition to understand how Vivaldi had
used different musical elements to vividly portray Spring.
How is the composition linked to the Global Context and SOI?: Spring - Allegro is linked to the Global Context,
Personal and Cultural Expression, as it is a creative artwork which includes personal expression or
interpretation of the four seasons by Antonio Vivaldi. Furthermore, the piece reflects the culture as it was
composed by Antonio Vivaldi, an Italian composer, during the Baroque period. Thus, there are certain
characteristics of Baroque such as polyphonic texture and the use of the harpsichord in the composition.
Moreover, since the composition was inspired by nature and expresses nature’s beauty and power, it is
connected to our appreciation of the aesthetics. The composition is also linked to the SOI, ‘the observation of
nature leads to creative expression’, as it is an example of a creative expression where it had been led by the
observation of nature by Antonio Vivaldi. Antonio Vivaldi’s observation of nature, the distinctive characteristics
of the four seasons, with his personal feelings and interpretations added, had led him to compose The Four
Seasons. Each season has vivid details that characterize that season. For example, in Spring - Allegro, Vivaldi’s
observations of birds, brooks, and thunderstorms are reflected in the composition along with the poem.
Technical analysis
Genre: Classical - To be more specific, it is a programmatic concerto for solo violin, based on an Italian sonnet:
No.1: Spring (La primavera) Programmatic music is a genre that tells a narrative.5 The composition is
programmatic music because it portrays each scene in the sonnet. Concerto is a musical composition which
includes a solo instrument with orchestral accompaniment.6 Spring - Allegro is a concerto for a solo violin which
includes an ensemble played by different instruments such as strings and harpsichord.

4
https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-baroque-music-definition-history-characteristics-
composers.html
5
“What Is Programmatic Music and Who's Listening ?” Bunny Studio Blog, 29 Nov. 2021,
https://bunnystudio.com/blog/what-is-programmatic-music/. Accessed on 3 Jan 2022.
6
Newman, William S. “Concerto.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,
https://www.britannica.com/art/concerto-music.

3
Instruments: solo violin, violin 1, violin 2, viola, cello, double bass, and harpsichord
Timbre: The solo violin and violin 1 stand out the most while other instruments play the harmony and
accompany the melody line. All the instruments from bar number 1 are played crisply. The timbre in this
section can also be described as sharp, reedy, and bright. This helps convey the feeling of festive spring.
However, from bar number 31, the timbre changes as Vivaldi tries to express the line ‘and the brooks, caressed
by little Zephyrs, flow with a sweet murmur.’ In this section, the timbre becomes a little bit round like the flow
of the brook. In this section, the organ piano plays broken chords. The broken chords help shape the timbre of
the composition as it makes it sound round. However, the timber returns to sharp, reedy and bright from bar
number 41. The solo violin from bar number 47 is even played sharper and reedier to express the thunder and
lightning.
Tempo: Allegro (at a brisk speed / fast and bright) - Antonio Vivaldi must have chosen Spring - Allegro to be at
this tempo as this tempo would help convey the festive, heightened, and bright mood of the composition,
which would help portray the season Spring and the lines in the sonnet which describe birds, brook and
thunderstorm in specific.
Time signature: Common time (4/4)
Key signature: E major - The use of the E major key helps convey the bright and happy mood of the first
movement of Spring.
Chords: E, A, B, G#, A#, C, C#m, F#m, C#, C#5 (I, IV, V, III, vi, ii, VI, VI5). These chords are played by the organ
piano and the harmonies of these chords are played by the other string instruments.
Form: Allegro is the first movement of the larger concerto, Concerto No. 1 in E Major (Spring), from ‘The Four
Seasons’. The internal structure of the first movement of Spring is divided into sections A (from bar number 1
to 13), B (from bar number 13 to 30), C (from bar number 31 to 43), D (from bar number 44 to 58), and E (from
bar number 59 till the end of the first movement). The sections continue in the next movement starting from F.
The section changes as the scene of the season changes. For example, section A evokes the festive spring while
section B expresses the birds singing. Thus, Allegro (1st movement) is divided into different sections according
to which scene the sonnet describes. Therefore, the sections can be easily distinguished as each scene has a
different mood. The composition also includes violin solos, which are one of the distinctive characteristics of a
concerto. For example, there is a violin solo from section B. Then, the solo ends, as signified by the direction
‘Tutti’ which directs all the instruments to play together again. There is tutti from bar number 28. Then again,
there is another violin solo from bar number 47 followed by another tutti after the solo. This pattern repeats
throughout the piece.
Texture: Different textures including monophony, homophony and polyphony can be found in the composition.
Homophony is used at the beginning where there is a distinct melody accompanied by the harpsichord. The
solo violin, first violins, second violins, and viola play the same rhythm where the tunes played by the solo violin
and first violins stand out the most. At the beginning of the composition, Vivaldi intended to express the first
line of the sonnet which says, ‘festive spring has arrived,’. He expresses the sense of festive spring by using
homophony where all the strings play the same rhythmic pattern with a distinct melody and harmonies stacked
to create a sense of vibrancy.

4
 In the composition, polyphony can also be
found in many sections. For example, from
bar number 19, there is a counterpoint or
round where the two distinct melodies are
played simultaneously (figure 2). In this
section, the first violin imitates the solo
violin. Moreover, there are short sections
where the solo violin plays the solo
(Figure 2) - “Spring (Concerto No. 1 ‘La Primavera’) Full Score.” Cantorion,
http://cantorion.org/music/4645/Spring-%28Concerto-No.-1-%22La-primavera%22%29-Full-score. melodic line. For example, at bar number
50, after playing the first note, the rest of the
instruments rest for 3 beats while the solo violin plays the
solo line, expressing the lightning (figure 3). Since the solo
violin plays a single melodic line without any
accompaniment in this specific section of the
composition, this section is monophony. The solo line
without any accompaniment has the effect of making the
melody stand out more by making it sound clearer. In this
composition, monophony is used only for a short period
of time and is followed by the thirty-second notes played
by other instruments in a low pitch, which expresses the
(Figure 3) - “Spring (Concerto No. 1 ‘La Primavera’) Full Score.” Cantorion,
http://cantorion.org/music/4645/Spring-%28Concerto-No.-1-%22La-primavera%22%29-
Full-score.
thunderstorm. This gives even more contrast and helps
make both sections stand out and build tension, enabling
the composer to express the strong and powerful thunderstorm.
Dynamics: The composition begins with a forte. As the similar melody line repeats from bar number 5 to bar
number 7 (ritornello), the instruments are played with piano. This occurs in many classical compositions in
which the first melody line is played with forte and the second variation of the layered melody is played much
softer. The reason for this is to give variations in the dynamics so that it gives a contrast between the two
repeated melody lines. It also makes the composition sound more expressive by varying the dynamics. The
same thing happens from bar number 7 to 13 where a different melody line is being played with forte first,
then piano.

From bar number 27 to bar

number 28, there is a
decrescendo (figure 4). Then
from bar number 29, the
instruments are played with
forte. As the forte is followed
by a decrescendo, the effect
(Figure 4) Sheet music from “Spring (Concerto No. 1 ‘La Primavera’) Full Score.” Cantorion, of the forte is enhanced.
http://cantorion.org/music/4645/Spring-%28Concerto-No.-1-%22La-primavera%22%29-Full-score.

5
 Ritornello: It is a compositional technique where a musical theme is repeated.7 The melodic line from bar
number 1 is being repeated several times in the composition.
Ornaments
As the poem for Spring - Allegro above describes (figure 1), Spring - Allegro is about Spring where birds sing and
brooks flow. Then, there is thunder which goes away, after which birds return. This is the interpretation of
Spring by Antonio Vivaldi assuming that he had written the poem himself. To visualize this scene in the form of
music, Antonio Vivaldi had used
ornaments such as trills and
mordent (shake) and other
musical techniques such as
descending scales and repeated
notes to imitate the sounds of
birds and thunder, and the
(Figure 5) Sheet music from “Spring (Concerto No. 1 ‘La Primavera’) Full Score.” Cantorion, http://cantorion.org/music/4645/Spring-%28Concerto- shape of the brooks.
No.-1-%22La-primavera%22%29-Full-score.
Trills: The trills are played
from bar number 10. Trills are played extensively in this piece to create the effect of bird sounds. The fast-
quavering notes sound like birds. The trills are played with high notes, which imitate the high and thin sounds
of birds. Figure 5 shows bars 23 to 25 where trills (circled in red) are played continuously by the solo violin,
violins 1, and violins 2.
Mordent (shake): While trills are played as long as the length of the note, mordent is played relatively short.
From bar number 14 to bar number 15, there are
mordents (highlighted in yellow) which also imitate
birds chirping.
Staccato: Like trills and mordents, the short,
(Figure 6) Sheet music from “Spring (Concerto No. 1 ‘La Primavera’) Full Score.” Cantorion,
http://cantorion.org/music/4645/Spring-%28Concerto-No.-1-%22La-primavera%22%29-Full-score. snapping staccatos also create the effect of bird
sounds.
Ostinato: Vivaldi uses the fast melodic ostinato in a high pitch to
imitate the sound of birds (figure 6).
Fermata: The composition ends with a fermata thus, slowing
down to signal the end of the first movement.
(Figure 7) Sheet music from “Spring (Concerto No. 1 ‘La Primavera’) Full Score.” Cantorion,
http://cantorion.org/music/4645/Spring-%28Concerto-No.-1-%22La-primavera%22%29-Full-score.

ATL skills: Research skills - I have applied and

developed my research skills in task 1 by researching elements of music and using various sources (video,
websites, and online music sheets) to analyze the composition. I also did research on the composition that I
have chosen and Antonio Vivaldi to understand the context and the composition, which helped me in analyzing
the composition.
Critical thinking skills - With all the knowledge and analytical skills I have gained, I used my critical thinking skills
to critically analyze the composition. I tried to identify musical ornaments and elements of the composition and
think about why Vivaldi had used such elements and ornaments, linking with the effects they have.

7
“Ritornello: Definition & Form.” Study.com | Take Online Courses. Earn College Credit. Research
Schools, Degrees & Careers, https://study.com/academy/lesson/ritornello-definition-form.html.

6
Bibliography

Eleanor Selfridge-Field, Eleanor. “‘The Four Seasons.’” Google Books, Google,

https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/The_four_seasons/nBJQAwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=vi
valdi%2Bspring%2Bfour%2Bseasons&printsec=frontcover.

Glaza, Nicole. “Nicole Glaza.” Charlotte Symphony, Charlotte Symphony Charlotte Symphony, 29
Dec. 2017, https://www.charlottesymphony.org/blog/vivaldis-four-seasons-poems/.

Jean, Janae. “Four Types of Texture in Music.” Perennial, Perennial, 17 June 2021,
https://www.perennialmusicandarts.com/post/four-types-of-texture-in-music.

Newman, William S. “Concerto.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,

https://www.britannica.com/art/concerto-music.

Nypaver, Alisha, director. Musical Texture (Definition of Monophonic, Homophonic, Polyphonic,

Heterophonic Textures). YouTube, 17 Feb. 2017, https://youtu.be/teh22szdnRQ. Accessed 3 Feb.
2022.

“Listening Guide to Vivaldi's Four Seasons - Spring - Music History Crash Course.” YouTube, Odd
Quartet, 31 May 2019, https://youtu.be/VnW8RK-2nuY. Accessed 3 Feb. 2022.

“Ritornello: Definition & Form.” Study.com | Take Online Courses. Earn College Credit. Research
Schools, Degrees & Careers, https://study.com/academy/lesson/ritornello-definition-form.html.

Robson, David. “Awe: The 'Little Earthquake' That Could Free Your Mind.” BBC Worklife, BBC,
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220103-awe-the-little-earthquake-that-could-free-your-mind.

“Spring (Concerto No. 1 ‘La Primavera’) Full Score.” Cantorion,

http://cantorion.org/music/4645/Spring-%28Concerto-No.-1-%22La-primavera%22%29-Full-score.

“The Earth Has Music for Those Who Will Listen...” The Earth Has Music for Those Who Will
Listen... – Stephane BARTHELEMY, http://stephanebarthelemy.com/hello-world.

“What Is Counterpoint? Free Music Lessons.” YouTube, LivingPianosVideos, 12 Nov. 2014,

https://youtu.be/4O6lc_ym12U. Accessed 3 Feb. 2022.

“What Is Programmatic Music and Who's Listening ?” Bunny Studio Blog, 29 Nov. 2021,
https://bunnystudio.com/blog/what-is-programmatic-music/. Accessed on 3 Jan 2022.

“What Is Timbre? | Beginner | Music Production | Berklee Online.” YouTube, Berklee Online, 5
Apr. 2018, https://youtu.be/AjJLAcDb_MU. Accessed 3 Feb. 2022.

https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-baroque-music-definition-history-characteristics-
composers.html