Music is not just an art form, but a tool for regulating emotions and activating the brain, which can benefit mental, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health.
Listening to seasonal music can evoke feelings tied to the changing environment—joy in spring, relaxation in summer, reflection in autumn, and introspection in winter. These responses help reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance overall well-being. Excerpts from Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” was shown to have a positive effect on older adults’ cognitive performance. Bach, Mozart, Handel, Haydn and others have been successively used in music therapy. Music was even shown to effectively improve the social skills and language communication ability of children with autism, and enhance their behavioral ability, sensory perception, and self-care skills.
Individuals with hearing loss or cochlear implants may experience music differently. The richness of music may be diminished due to difficulties hearing pitch and harmony. However, rhythm and tempo still provide valuable cues, allowing them to connect with the music, even if their experience is more limited.
Seasonal music, especially when tailored to individual needs, could be useful in hearing rehabilitation and mental health therapy. For instance, soothing winter compositions with slower tempos might promote relaxation and calmness, benefiting people with anxiety or stress, even those with hearing impairments.
Many composers have created music centered around the seasons, each interpreting these sensory experiences in unique ways. Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons is perhaps the most well-known, using lively, bright melodies to capture the essence of spring and intense, dramatic passages for winter. Similarly, Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires reflects the sultry and passionate atmosphere of Buenos Aires in summer through tango rhythms. Here's more:
Jacques Loussier: He created a jazz interpretation of Vivaldi’s "The Four Seasons".
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Wrote “The Seasons”, Op. 37a, a set of twelve piano pieces each representing a different month of the year.
Alexander Glazunov: Composed the ballet “The Seasons”, Op. 67, which is divided into four scenes, each representing a different season.
John Cage: Composed “The Seasons”, a ballet score that represents the four seasons.
Leonid Desyatnikov: Arranged Piazzolla’s “Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas” for violin and string orchestra, blending elements of tango and classical music.
Franz Joseph Haydn composed “The Seasons” (Die Jahreszeiten), a large oratorio for soloists, chorus, and orchestra. It was completed in 1801 and is divided into four parts, each representing a different season of the year.
as we already mentioned:
Ástor Piazzolla: Composed “Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas” (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires), which are tango compositions reflecting the seasons in Buenos Aires.
and, of course,
Antonio Vivaldi: Famous for his set of violin concertos known as “The Four Seasons”, Op. 8, Nos. 1-4.
Despite the different styles and periods of these composers, there are some common musical characteristics and emotional themes associated with each season in their works:
Spring
Tempo: Often lively and upbeat, reflecting the renewal and energy of spring.
Emotions: Joy, hope, and freshness.
Musical Characteristics: Light, bright melodies, often with a sense of awakening or blossoming. Vivaldi’s “Spring” from The Four Seasons is a prime example with its cheerful and vibrant violin passages.
Summer
Tempo: Can vary from slow and languid to fast and intense, reflecting both the heat and the storms of summer.
Emotions: Warmth, relaxation, but also intensity and sometimes agitation.
Musical Characteristics: Rich, full textures, sometimes with stormy or dramatic elements. Piazzolla’s “Verano Porteño” (Summer) captures the sultry heat of Buenos Aires with its passionate tango rhythms.
Autumn
Tempo: Often moderate, with a mix of lively harvest dances and more reflective, slower sections.
Emotions: Gratitude, nostalgia, and sometimes melancholy.
Musical Characteristics: Warm, earthy tones, often incorporating folk dance rhythms. Haydn’s “Autumn” in The Seasons includes lively harvest celebrations and reflective moments.
Winter
Tempo: Generally slower, though can include brisk, biting sections to reflect the cold.
Emotions: Stillness, introspection, and sometimes harshness.
Musical Characteristics: Sparse, crisp textures, often with a sense of chill or stark beauty. Tchaikovsky’s “January: By the Fireside” from The Seasons evokes the warmth and coziness of being indoors during winter.
Each composer brings their unique style to these themes, but the general emotional and musical characteristics of the seasons tend to be consistent. Using music from different seasons to reflect diverse emotional states can help in training users to identify shifts in mood and energy, enhancing their social and emotional perception.
REFERENCES
Pryer AJ. Vivaldi's Four Seasons and the Globalization of Musical Taste. https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/110/1/MUS-Pryer2002a_GRO.pdf
Mammarella N, Fairfield B, Cornoldi C. Does music enhance cognitive performance in healthy older adults? The Vivaldi effect. Aging clinical and experimental research. 2007 Oct;19:394-9.
Baltes FR, Miclea M, Miu AC. Does everybody like Vivaldi's Four Seasons? Affective space and a comparison of music-induced emotions between musicians and non-musicians. Cognition, Brain, Behavior. 2012 Mar 1;16(1):107.
Bavandi A, Ashrafi M, Mohammadzadeh A. A Descriptive Study on the Effect of Music on Speech-in-Noise Perception in Binaural and Monaural Hearing Aid Users. Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery. 2024 Aug 27:1-7.
Mei L. The role of teaching solfeggio considering memory mechanisms in developing musical memory and hearing of music school students. Current Psychology. 2024 Mar;43(11):10005-15.
Brian C. J. Moore The perception of emotion in music by people with hearing loss and people with cochlear implants 15 July 2024 https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2023.0258
Shi Z, Wang S, Chen M, Hu A, Long Q, Lee Y. The effect of music therapy on language communication and social skills in children with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology. 2024 May 7;15:1336421.
