Perhaps one of the most popular works of all time – "Seasons" by A. Vivaldi. This cycle of 4 concerti for solo violin and orchestra was written by the composer in 1723. All of them are unique in their own way, in every amazing way merged brilliant virtuosity and charming cantilena. All of Vivaldi's concerts were accompanied by a sonnet, but, alas, today we do not hear them in the concert halls, they are almost never read. Who is the author of these words is still a mystery. It's supposed to be Vivaldi himself.
The year 1725 was marked by the publication of one of the most important collections of the composer's eighth opus, which he titled as "the Experience of harmony and invention." He included 12 virtuoso violin concerti, the first four of which are called "Spring", "Summer", "Autumn" and "Winter". Today's performing practice combined these works in the cycle "Seasons", but the original version of this title is not.
It is believed that the idea to embody in music the various States of nature arose from A. Vivaldi during his trip to Italy. He made his first big trip in 1713, when he was appointed chief composer of the orphanage for Girls. The Maestro took a month off and goes to Vicenza to put his Opera "Otton in the Villa"there. This event was the starting point for his creative biography – from that time he plunged into the work on Opera creations and gladly took a lot of orders for performances, not forgetting to visit a variety of cities of his native country. He traveled to the then popular mail stagecoaches. That's when, according to biographers, watching out the window for the world of nature and listening to the clatter of hoofs and the rattle of wheels, he decided to create his brilliant violin concertos.
That's only on the date of the creation of "seasons" is still under debate. Some historians believe that the concertos were written in 1723-m, and others more likely to call 1725 – that he is listed in many authoritative reference books. But art historian A. maykapar insists that they were created in 1720. In his statements he refers to the work of the researcher of the Vivaldi heritage Paul Everett. This scientist, analyzing the preserved authentic versions of these concerts, came to the conclusion that a copy already existed in 1720, and was even sent to Amsterdam. However, for unknown reasons, it was published only five years later under the leadership of Michel Le Price. In 1739, a Parisian edition, released by Le Clerc.
Interesting, but these first editions have survived and made "break" the minds of many musicologists. And it happened because in the last century in Manchester researchers found another manuscript "Seasons". It differed significantly from the Amsterdam and Paris editions, in which the musical text was similar. In found version was very well attended-deployed unknown performers of solo parts for individual instruments - for example, for the middle part of the Concerto "Winter" was written by a beautiful solo for cello. Why such a party was absent in the first motozania, yet managed to solve. Historians came to the conclusion that initially, for convenience, they were written and printed on separate sheets, but after some time just got lost and soon everyone forgot about them. But scientists were interested in the main question-what score was the primary source? They were also confused by the fact that the Manchester notes were not written by Vivaldi, but by two other people and on two types of paper, which the composer had never used before, and moreover, there was no Dating on all the sheets. Historians had to conduct a real investigation. The answer to the question helped them to find information from the life of the owner of this music collection - the Italian chicken cardinal Pietro Ottoboni. His Eminence visited Venice in 1726, where he first heard the music of Vivaldi, one of his cantatas. Most likely, said the historians, by Vivaldi in honor of the acquaintance and decided to give him a gift of "seasons". He prepared in advance for this meeting, and therefore prudently ordered a copy of the notes from the scribes. One of them, according to biographers, was his father Giovanni Battista Vivaldi. This gave reason to believe that the original source is still Amsterdam edition – the same, which lay in oblivion for five years.

The researchers drew attention to the fact that the manuscripts found Vivaldi significantly different from publications. Having carefully studied them, they came to the conclusion that the composer himself made these differences. The fact is that he personally prepared all the works for publication, but never copied them exactly. Rewriting the text for the publisher, he made a lot of changes to it, but his version was left the same.
Vivaldi the music of the first Allegro of the Concerto in one of his operas, created in 1726. It was called "Gorilla in the valley of Tempe".
One of the most passionate admirers of this music was the French king Louis XV. Especially for him, the courtiers even staged a play to the music of "Spring", wanting to please his ruler.
"Seasons" is sometimes called "Chetyrehstennoy violin Opera". And all because the composer really logically and coherently built your loop, and have United all of not only the plot and title, but also end-to-end Symphony development.
The fragments of the "seasons" are often heard today on the big screens. So, they can be heard in the series "grey's Anatomy", "the big Bang Theory", the films "Philosophy of boudoir Marquis de Sada", "1+1", "in the footsteps of Vivaldi", "Tomorrow was war"and the cartoon "the Simpsons".
The music of these concerts often used for their productions, choreographers Roland Petit, Angelin Preljocaj, James Koudelka, Mauro Bigonzetti.
Discs with a record of these works, made in 1989 by Nigel Kennedy and the English chamber orchestra, broke all records in sales – they were bought by more than two million.
Stéphane Lambiel won the world figure skating Championships 2006, performing their free program to music from "the seasons".
"Spring" was included in the sample music for Windows 3.0.