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GENERAL ENGLISH · ENGLISH IN VIDEO · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

VIVALDI’S
FOUR
SEASONS
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1 Warm up

Match the following words connected to music to the definition.

1. ensemble a. an old instrument similar to a piano

2. woodwinds b. a piece of music which includes a couple of tunes or more, these

tunes are then repeated in a complex manner
3. brass c. a piece of music written for a single instrument to be played
together with an orchestra
4. strings d. a small group of musicians

5. percussion e. instruments such as drums and a tambourine

6. harpsichord f. instruments such as flutes and clarinets

7. concerto g. instruments such as French horns and trumpets

8. fugue h. instruments such as violins and guitars

A B C D E F

Can you name the photographs?

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VIVALDI’S FOUR SEASONS

2 Understanding the introduction

First, listen to part of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons (00:00-01:30).

When you have finished, quickly answer the following questions in pairs.

• What does it make you think of?

• How does it make you feel?
• What instruments do you think you can hear?

Now, put the following sentences from the video you are going to watch in order from 1 - 8. The first
one is done for you.

At the time of their publication in Amsterdam in 1725, they were accompanied by poems describing
exactly what feature of that season Vivaldi intended to capture in musical terms.

However, even more notable is the fact that they have stories to tell.

In providing specific plot content for instrumental music, Vivaldi was generations ahead of his time.

It’s been featured in uncounted films and television commercials, but what is it and why does it sound
that way?

It’s some of the most familiar of all early 18th-century music.

Light, bright, and cheerful. 1

The Four Seasons are famous in part because they are a delight to the ear.

This is the opening of "Spring" from The Four Seasons by Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi.

Watch the video (00:00 - 00:56) to check your answers.

Now find words and phrases in the script with the following meanings.

1. included in a special manner

2. an unknown number

3. to some extent

4. worth paying attention to

5. together with

6. wanted to

7. giving

8. very advanced for the age in which he lived

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VIVALDI’S FOUR SEASONS

3 Focus on vocabulary
Part A: Write the following extracts into the correct gap in the following definitions.
a safe place chasing or looking excited and enthusiastic feelings and emotions
no living parents period of time someone who lived takes your attention

1. simultaneously (adv.): taking place over the same as something else

2. pursuit (n): for something
3. refuge (n): giving protection from weather and danger
4. expressive (adj.): clearly displaying
5. contemporary (n): in the same period of time
6. electrifying (adj.): making someone incredibly
7. orphan (n): a child with
8. diversion (n): something which away from regular life or what you are
doing

Part B: Complete the following sentences with a word from the same family as the word in brackets.

1. The police officer had a very blank , making it very difficult to know what he was
thinking. (expressive)
2. Nadia volunteers at the local community centre, teaching English to . (refuge)
3. There was an accident on the main road, so the police were traffic through a
nearby village. (diversion)
4. My daughter is at university in Chicago studying history. She loves it. (contemporary)
5. Tragically, his parents were both killed in a car crash while he was a baby, so he spent the early
years of his life in an . (orphan)
6. I’m telling you, when he started playing guitar, the whole audience was absolutely
. (electrifying)
7. Have you seen the news? Police are a drunk driver. It’s terrifying to watch!
(pursuit)
8. Last night there were explosions in two separate areas of Paris, though no one is
thought to be injured. (simultaneously)

Now in pairs, answer the questions.

1. What is the most electrifying music or drama performance you have ever seen?
2. What activities do you do as a diversion from work?
3. Are people often quite expressive in your culture? Or not? How do they show their emotions?
4. Are you someone who is good at doing several things simultaneously, or do you prefer to just
focus on one thing?
5. Where is your favourite place to take refuge?
6. What happens to orphans in your country? Are there places for them to go?

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4 Comprehension

Watch the rest of the video (00:56 - 04:02) and answer the following questions.

1. What, according to the poems, is happening at the beginning of "Spring"?

a. The season is welcomed with joyful birdsong.

b. The flowers are beginning to grow.
c. The snow is starting to melt and the air is getting warm.
d. The animals are beginning to wake from their winter sleep.

2. What event changes the tone of the music?

a. Hunters enter the forest, meaning danger for the animals.

b. Pollution from a nearby town begins to kill the wildlife.
c. Dangerous animals enter the area.
d. The weather changes, which affects the animals.

3. What happens in the fields in "Summer"?

a. They are full of families playing and eating.

b. They are negatively affected by harsh weather.
c. Animals play with each other in the sun.
d. The crops grow and reach towards the sun.

4. What does "Autumn" bring?

a. Colder weather and animals starting to stay inside

b. The sound of leaves falling from trees
c. Hunters looking for animals
d. The calls of birds leaving for warmer places

5. What did Vivaldi use to perform The Four Seasons?

a. A large orchestra featuring woodwinds, drums and brass instruments

b. A harpsichord and string instruments
c. Only woodwind instruments
d. Only brass instruments

6. What did Vivaldi try to do with his music?

a. Provide entertaining music that everyone could enjoy

b. Write complicated tunes which amazed contemporary musicians
c. Repeat ideas in different pieces of music
d. Create music in ways that had not been done before

7. What instrument did Vivaldi play?

a. The harpsichord
b. The French horn
c. The trumpet
d. The violin

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8. How did the Venetian girls’ school prepare its students for the future?

a. They learned cookery, sports and how to play at least two instruments.
b. They learned several languages and how to write music.
c. It prepared them for a music career in case they did not marry.
d. It taught them what they needed to find a good husband.

5 Multi-word phrases

Complete the sentences with one of the following words. You will need to use one more than once.

with / out / for / in / of / up / from

1. I was in a bar last night when a fight broke . It was really scary.
2. I can’t say I’m very interested Politics. I find it all very boring.
3. That girl over there really reminds me your sister.
4. I find the quality of the bread in France really varies place to place.
5. I forgot to tell you. Your name popped in conversation yesterday when I was talking to
Sian!
6. We should stop watching this film. I don’t think it’s going to be suitable the children at all.
7. I’d like to begin the tomato soup please, and then I’ll have the vegetable pie with a side
order of fries.
8. Sorry, I can’t talk. I need to dash , but I’ll be back later this afternoon! OK?

6 Talking point

In pairs, answer the following questions.

1. Do you normally listen to Classical Music? Why/Why not?

2. What was your opinion of the music you heard today? When you heard the music, were your
ideas the same as the ideas discussed in the video?
3. Is classical music popular in your country? Can you go and see performances anywhere?
4. After the work you did today, would you be interested in listening to other classical pieces of
music, or more music by Vivaldi? Why/Why not?

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7 Extended activity/homework

Listen to one of the seasons from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons in full.

Write at least 150 words about the ideas, images and feelings that it gives you. Remember that there
are no right or wrong answers.

Be sure to check your spelling, grammar and punctuation.

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