Light, bright, and cheerful. It's some of the most familiar of all early 18th century music. It's been featured in uncounted films and television commercials, but what is it and why does it sound that way?
Blaga, jasna i vedra. Ova muzika je najpoznatija među muzikom ranog XVIII veka. Nalazi se u bezbroj filmova i televizijskih reklama, ali o čemu se radi i zašto zvuči tako?
This is the opening of "Spring" from "The Four Seasons," by Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi. "The Four Seasons" are famous in part because they are a delight to the ear. However, even more notable is the fact that they have stories to tell. 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. In providing specific plot content for instrumental music, Vivaldi was generations ahead of his time.
Ovo je početak "Proleća" iz "Četiri godišnja doba", italijanskog kompozitora Antonija Vivaldija. "Četiri godišnja doba" su delom poznata jer su užitak za uši. Međutim, značajnija je činjenica da ona pričaju priče. U vreme njihovog objavljivanja, u Amsterdamu 1725, pratile su ih pesme, koje su opisivale koju osobinu određenog doba je Vivaldi nameravao da opiše u muzičkom smislu. Obezbeđujući naročit sadržaj zapleta za instrumentalnu muziku, Vivaldi je bio generacijama ispred svog vremena.
If one were to read the poems simultaneously to hearing the music, one would find the poetic scenes synchronizing nicely with the musical imagery. We are told that the birds welcome spring with happy song, and here they are doing exactly that. Soon, however, a thunderstorm breaks out. Not only is there musical thunder and lightning, there are also more birds, wet, frightened, and unhappy.
Ako bismo čitali pesme, istovremeno slušajući muziku, otkrili bismo poetske scene koje su lepo sinhronizovane sa muzičkim prizorima. Rečeno nam je da ptice pozdravljaju proleće veselom pesmom, a ovde rade baš to. Uskoro, međutim, izbija oluja. Ne samo da imamo muzički predstavljene munju i grom, već imamo i više ptica, mokrih, uplašenih i nesrećnih.
In "Summer," the turtle dove sings her name "tortorella" in Italian, before a hail storm flattens the fields. "Autumn" brings eager hunters dashing out in pursuit of their prey.
U "Letu" grlica ispevava svoje ime "tortorella" na intalijanskom, dok oluja s gradom sravnjuje poljane. "Jesen" donosi željne lovce kako smelo tragaju za ulovom.
The "Winter" concerto begins with teeth chattering in the cold before one takes refuge by a crackling fire. Then it's back out into the storm where there'll be slips and falls on the ice. In these first weeks of winter, the old year is coming to a close, and so does Vivaldi's musical exploration of the seasons.
"Zimski koncert" počinje cvokotanjem zuba na hladnoći sve dok se ne skrasimo pored pucketave vatre. Potom nazad u oluju, gde će biti poklizavanja i padova na ledu. U prvim nedeljama zime, stara godina se primiče kraju, a time i Vivaldijevo muzičko istraživanje godišnjih doba.
Not until the early 19th century would such expressive instrumental program music, as it was known, become popular. By then, larger, more varied ensembles were the rule with woodwinds, brass, and percussion to help tell the tale. But Vivaldi pulled it off with just one violin, strings, and a harpsichord. Unlike his contemporary Bach, Vivaldi wasn't much interested in complicated fugues. He preferred to offer readily accessible entertainment to his listeners with melodies that pop back up later in a piece to remind us of where we've been. So the first movement of the "Spring" concerto begins with a theme for spring and ends with it, too, slightly varied from when it was last heard.
Sve do ranog XIX veka slična ekspresivna instrumentalna programska muzika, kako je poznata, neće postati popularna. Do tad, veći, raznolikiji ansambli su bili standard, sa drvenim duvačima, limenim duvačima i perkusijama, kojima su pričali priče. No Vivaldi je to postigao sa samo jednom violinom, grupom žičanih instrumenata i cimbalom. Nasuprot njegovom savremeniku Bahu, Vivaldija nisu naročito interesovale komplikovane fuge. Više je voleo da spremno pruži pristupačnu zabavu svojim slušaocima melodijama koje iskrsavaju kasnije u jednom delu da nas podsete gde smo bili. U prvom stavu "Proleća" koncert počinje temom proleća a njome se i završava, uz blagu varijaciju u odnosu na poslednje javljanje.
It was an inspired way to attract listeners, and Vivaldi, considered one of the most electrifying violinists of the early 18th century, understood the value of attracting audiences. Such concerts might feature himself as the star violinist. Others presented the young musicians of the Pietà, a Venetian girls' school where Vivaldi was Director of Music. Most of the students were orphans. Music training was intended not only as social skills suitable for young ladies but also as potential careers for those who might fail to make good marriages.
Bio je to inspirativan način da se privuku slušaoci, a Vivaldi, koga su smatrali jednim od najstrasnijih violinista ranog XVIII veka, razumeo je značaj privlačenja publike. Slični koncerti mogu da sadrže njega lično kao violinsku zvezdu. Drugi su predstavljali mlade muzičarke iz Pijete, venecijanske škole za devojke gde je Vivaldi bio direktor za muziku. Većina đaka su bila siročad. Obuka iz muzike nije trebalo samo da bude društvena veština pogodna za mlade dame, već i kao potencijalna karijera za one koje ne uspeju da sklope dobre brakove.
Even in the composer's own time, Vivaldi's music served as diversion for all, not just for the wealthy aristocrats. 300 years later, it's an approach that still works, and Vivaldi's music still sounds like trotting horses on the move.
Čak i u kompozitorovo vreme, Vivaldijeva muzika je služila kao razbibriga za sve, ne samo za imućne aristokrate. Trista godina kasnije, to je pristup koji i dalje funkcioniše, a Vivaldijeva muzika i dalje zvuči poput konja koji se kreću u kasu.