What classical music is featured in Netflix’s The Four Seasons, and how is it inspired by Vivaldi’s masterpiece?

16 May 2025, 11:03 | Updated: 16 May 2025, 11:04

The Tina Fey Netflix miniseries takes its structure from Vivaldi’s beloved set of violin concertos, and features the famous music throughout every episode.

Our ears pricked up when we heard about The Four Seasons on Netflix. Could this be, we said to ourselves, anything to do with one of our favourite pieces of music, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons? We didn’t want to get our hopes up.

Well, in spite of this seemingly unlikely source of inspiration for a brand new TV show in 2025, the miniseries, which is created by Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield, actually is based loosely on Vivaldi’s masterpiece.

It is an eight-part miniseries, based on a 1981 film of the same name written and directed by Alan Alda, that plots its eight episodes out to correlate with Vivaldi’s four violin concertos, with two episodes ‘per concerto’.

Episodes 1 and 2 are set in Spring, 3 and 4 in Summer, 5 and 6 in Autumn, and Episodes 7 and 8 take place in Winter.

Read more: About Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons

What is The Four Seasons on Netflix about?

The TV show follows three couples who have been close friends for years, as they navigate seasonal holidays together, in the face of large life events, long-lasting frustrations and deep, deep love.

When they go on holiday together in Spring, in Episode 1, one of the friends makes a big revelation, the fallout of which dominates proceedings over the course of the seasons, and it makes for a funny, poignant and satisfying watch.

The show stars Tina Fey as Kate, Will Forte as her husband Jack, Kerri Kenney and Steve Carell as Anne and Nick, and Colman Domingo and Marco Calvani as Danny and Claude.

Read more: New Antonio Vivaldi biopic announced, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker

What classical music is featured in Netflix’s The Four Seasons?

The Four Seasons on Netflix predominantly features Vivaldi’s famous set of 1723 Violin Concertos, The Four Seasons, throughout, with each episode featuring its respective violin concerto to match the season.

Spring (Concerto in E Major, Op. 8 No. 1, RV 269) cheerfully greets us in Episode 1, and by Episode 8, the finale, we are in the beautiful depths and chilly melodies of Vivaldi’s Winter (Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297).

There are other pieces of classical music in the TV show, including other works by Vivaldi, as well as one or two other works.

The third movement of Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in E-Flat Major, Op. 8 No. 5, RV 253 ‘La tempesta di mare’ features in Episode 2 of The Four Seasons, and returns in Episode 3.

Watch: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, but played tango-style on a concertina

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by JS Bach also makes an appearance, embedded into the plot when it is played by the acoustic guitar and keyboard players at an event in Episode 1.

Episode 4, which is a Summer episode, features the ‘Et in terra pax’ from Vivaldi’s Gloria in D major, RV 589 during a particularly dramatic (and quite funny) scene.

Episode 5 has a dramatic scene between Danny and Claude that makes use of opera, specifically ‘Près des remparts de Séville’ from Bizet’s Carmen, and opera returns in Episode 6, when similar Claude drama calls for Leoncavallo’s ‘Vesti la giubba’ from I Pagliacci.

The rest of the soundtrack has light scoring by Jeff Richmond. And it’s also worth noting the show also uses no music — a lack of music — to great effect. For example in Episode 4 when Anne spends an excruciating amount of time opening a wrapped item from the gift shop to show her surf instructor.

Read more: 10 of Vivaldi’s greatest pieces of music

How is the TV show similar to Vivaldi’s masterpiece?

Each episode in The Four Seasons corresponds to a particular season, and features its respective Vivaldi violin concerto to match the season.

The show starts with Spring, for two episodes, followed by Summer for two, Autumn for two, and finally Winter for two episodes, including a very moving finale.

Vivaldi’s music helps to reinforce the moods and colours of the particular season featured in the episode.

What is Vivaldi’s Four Seasons?

Vivaldi composed The Four Seasons in 1723. They are four violin concertos, each with three movements, that depict the moods and emotions of the four seasons experienced on planet Earth in a particularly vivid musical language.

The piece of music is accompanied by an evocative poem depicting its particular season, most likely written by the composer himself.

From a gentle, joyful Spring, to a Summer storm, a season of pleasant harvest in Autumn, and a frozen, icy winter that ultimate ends in a bittersweet joy.

Watch the trailer for The Four Seasons