Vivaldi: Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons): Transcribed for Cello

Here is the sheet music and play-along audio accompaniments for a cello transcription of the four violin concertos that make up Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”. “Summer” is in the original key, but the other three concerti have needed to be transposed into more convenient keys. Here is a table of the original violin keys compared to these cellofun transcription keys:

	Original Violin Key	Cello Key
Summer	G Minor	G Minor
Autumn	F Major	C Major
Winter	F Minor	C Minor
Spring	E Major	C Major

This is very descriptive, theatrical music, and to understand what it is “saying” or representing, it is very helpful to consult the texts (sonnets) that Vivaldi inserts at various points throughout the concertos. These text insertions are originally in an old italian that is a little like Shakespeare’s english: it needs to be translated, even into modern italian ! For each concerto, we provide an english translation. Each descriptive phrase is given a capital letter to identify it, and it is most commonly only this letter that is indicated in the score.

SUMMER (L’Estate):

The official catalogue number of this concerto is RV 315. Our version keeps Vivaldi’s original key. Yes, this is high, but we can use all of our open strings and harmonics, which is a very significant advantage in this concerto and it actually lies very well for the cello in this key. Keeping the same key allows us to use any of the standard accompaniment parts (orchestral or keyboard). Taking it down a fifth might just be too low.

MOVT I: Allegro non molto

A: Beneath the blazing sun’s relentless heat, men and flocks are sweltering, pines are scorched.
B: We hear the cuckoo’s voice,
C: then sweet songs of the turtle dove and goldfinch are heard.
D: Soft breezes stir the air….but the threatening north wind sweeps them suddenly aside.
E: The shepherd cries, fearful of the violent storm and his destiny

MOVT II: Adagio (p) and Presto (f)

F: The sleeping shepherd is awakened by flashes of lightning and the roar of thunder, as insects and flies buzz madly around.

MOVT III: Presto

G: Alas, the shepherd’s worst fears were justified, as the heavens roar and huge hailstones beat down upon the proudly standing corn.

Here is a first draft of a cello adaptation of this concerto:

Here is a play-along audio accompaniment file, played by a real (but amateur) orchestra with thanks to Rachel Ostler and her YouTube channel. Short introductions have been added before impossible movement-starts so that we can know when to start playing:

three bars before the first movement
one bar before the second movement
three bars before the final movement

AUTUMN (L’Autunno):

The official catalogue number of this concerto is RV 293. We have transposed the entire concerto down a perfect fourth from F to C major to make it more playable on the cello, notably, to facilitate the many double stops. Fortunately, this doesn’t create many problems for the orchestral accompaniment, although we must, of course, rewrite the accompaniment.

For the tutti (orchestral) cellos, the bass tonic F of the original key goes down to the new bass tonic of the open C string, which is very convenient for both cellos and violas. In the entire concerto, in this new key down a fourth, only nine notes are too low for the tutti cellos, seven too low for the violins and twenty-five for the violas. These out-of-range notes have been taken up an octave.

Bars 87-94 have been renotated rhythmically to better represent their rhythmical structure (phrasing).

Here are Vivaldi’s text insertions. Only their identifying capital letters are placed in the score.

MOVT I: Allegro

A: The peasants celebrate with song and dance, the harvest safely gathered in
B: Full of wine (drunk),
C: they end their rejoicings with sleep.

MOVT II: Adagio molto

D: The singing and the dancing die away as a cool breeze fans the pleasant air,
inviting all to sleep, without a care.

MOVT III: Allegro

E: The hunters emerge at dawn, ready for the chase,
with horns and dogs and cries.
F: Their quarry flees while they give chase.
G: Terrified and wounded, the prey struggles on,
H: but, exhausted, it dies.

Here is a first draft of the solo cello part for a cello adaptation of this concerto. The accompaniment parts will come later.

Here is a play-along audio accompaniment file, played by a real orchestra. Short introductions have been added before the beginnings of the first and third movements so that we can know when to start playing:

one bar before the first movement
two bars before the final movement

WINTER (L’Inverno):

For the cello transcription, the entire concerto has been transposed down by a perfect fourth from its original F Minor into our C Minor.

MOVT I: Allegro non molto

A: Frozen and shivering in the icy snow
B: in biting, stinging winds
C: Running to and fro, stamping frozen feet
D: teeth chattering in the bitter chill.

MOVT II: Largo

E: Resting contentedly by the fire, while those outside are drenched by pouring rain.

MOVT III: Allegro

F: Walking on the ice
G: with hesitant steps, for fear of tripping and falling.
H: Then, after turning abruptly, they wobble and
I: collapse to the ground
J: getting back up, they hasten on across the ice,
K: in case it cracks and opens.
L: The frozen north winds rush through the house despite the locked and bolted doors…
This is winter, which nonetheless brings its own delights.

Here is the first draft of the sheet music for the solo cello part. The accompaniment parts will come later.

Here is a play-along audio accompaniment file, played by a real (but amateur) orchestra with thanks to Rachel Ostler and her YouTube channel. A one-bar introduction has been added to the second movement so that we can know when to start playing. A two-bar count-in is given before the start of the third movement but the bass pedal is so long that it is very difficult to coincide with the orchestral tutti entry twenty bars later. Never mind – this accompaniment is not for a concert performance but rather just to make our learning/practicing of this piece more fun …….

LA PRIMAVERA (Spring):

For the cello transcription, the entire concerto has been transposed down a major third from its original E Major into our C Major. This means that the key change between “Winter” and “Spring” is from C Minor to C Major, which seems a very natural modulation.

MOVT I: Allegro

A: Spring has come with joy
B: The birds celebrate her return with joyous song,
C: and murmuring streams are softly caressed by the breezes.
D: The sky becomes black, lightning flashes and thunderstorms roar,
E: then die away to silence, and the birds take up their charming songs once more.

MOVT II: Largo

F: On the flower-strewn meadow, with leafy branches rustling overhead, the goat-herd sleeps, his faithful dog beside him.

Be aware that the viola part in this movement is generally considered to be the barking of a (the shepherd’s ?) dog.

MOVT III: Allegro

G: To the festive sound of rustic bagpipes,
nymphs and shepherds dance under the luminescent spring canopy.

Here is a first draft of the sheet music for the solo cello and accompaniment parts. In bars 36-47 and bar 79 of the third movement, the solo cello’s doublestops have been removed. The removed notes have been given to the tutti violas (who were originally not playing at these moments).

Engraving Files (XML)

Here are two orchestral play-along accompaniments, the first with thanks to Gabriel Gordon and the second, with thanks to Rachel Ostler and their respective YouTube channels. A one-bar introduction has been added before the first movement and a two-bar intro has been added before the third movement in both accompaniments.