At the time of publishing the Four Seasons, (his most popular compositions) Vivaldi included a poem for each season to help illustrate the mood and intention of each piece. In addition to these sonnets, Vivaldi provided instructions such as "We tread the icy path slowly and cautiously, for fear of tripping and falling\032 (in the third movement of "Winter") Other natural occurrences were similarly evoked. A classic for string players!
