Tune of the Day: Summer
Just like the other three concertos that compose The Four Seasons, “Summer” (“L'estate” in Italian) is made up of three movements, following the usual fast-slow-fast scheme, and is accompanied by a sonnet:
Beneath the blazing sun's relentless heat
men and flocks are sweltering, pines are scorched;
we hear the cuckoo's voice, then sweet songs
of the turtle dove and finch are heard.
Soft breezes stir the air, but threatening
north wind sweeps them suddenly aside.
The shepherd trembles,
fearful of violent storm and what may lie ahead.
His limbs are now awakened from their repose
by fear of lightning's flash and thunder's roar,
as gnats and flies buzz furiously around.
Alas, his worst fears were justified,
as the heavens roar and great hailstones
beat down upon the proudly standing wheat.
As you can see, the final movement evokes a thunderstorm, which is why it is often dubbed “Storm”.