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WINTER MUSIC & MUSIC IN WINTER
- Jan 29
- 3 min read
NLWM No 40 29/01/2026
Magic Mirrors
Art distinguishes humans from other creatures on earth. Various fields of art are like magic mirrors of life: literature, fine arts, and music too. We and our lives are reflected in them. Our experiences and dreams, past, present, and hope for the future. We embellish and ridicule, idealize and expose. In every field of art, we talk about every area of life. Ours and nature's, of which we are a part.
Five Rings Games
Years ago, the Olympics featured artistic competitions. It was in ancient Greece's time, but also in the 20th century. One of the competitions was music. The Winter Olympics will begin on February 6, in Milan-Cortina, Italy. Nowadays, there will be no race of composers or performers, but there will be numerous wonderful concerts.
White Winter, Blue Sky
Winter in Italy is beautiful. Its beauty has been painted and described thousands of times. But, maybe, one of its most famous descriptions is musical.
Winter (l'Inverno) is Vivaldi's part of the cycle 'Four Seasons Concerts'. It paints a frosty landscape. The opening depicts a persistent fall of snowflakes. The rapid trilling and the violins convey teeth shaking by the intense cold (fast violin passages). Gusts of wind are heard, setting the falling snowflakes in motion in the first violin solo. The calm Largo paints a cozy interior by the fireplace.
This is an experiment in virtuosity and the creation of a vocabulary for program music.
And The Red Priest
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), the Venetian, a great master of the Baroque, known as The Red Priest, was a colorful figure. He could write a whole opera in a few days. He bought exquisite clothes and rode in a horse-drawn carriage. He regularly played with his orchestra made up of homeless orphans whom he taught music. Also, Four Seasons, the work which gave him eternal worldwide fame.
Many famous composers after him created winter musical pictures. Piano pieces were written by people like Fr. Liszt - Chasse-Neige (Chasing Snow), or Cl. Debussy - Dancing Snow (from Children's Corner) & Prelude Footsteps in the Snow. Others wrote symphonic pieces. I like Joseph Strauss' - Winterlust Polka or St. Moniuszko - Fairy Tale: Winter.
A Blizzard With Fog Covers the Sky...
But the most famous seems to be Franz Schubert's (1797-1828) cycle of songs: Winterreise (to the text by Wilhelm Müller). This Winter Journey is not a joyful one. It's not about sledding, skating, skiing, or snowballs. It is a winter of winds, blizzards, frost, and ice. Loneliness, anguish, loss, fatigue, and despair. It also reflects human fate. A shocking but GREAT STORY. Schubert wrote these songs just before his death in his youth. He lived for only 31 years (1797-1828).
There are very different winters and winter images. Both in the past and now. The joyful ones – Olympic games and winter vacations. And the tragic ones, such as children suffering from cold, hunger, or the loss of homes and loved ones during cruel wars. We have to remember them and be happy as long as it spares our children and homes.
With Flowers and Music
And what is the picture of winter in Kuwait? It's a different image. The desert is covered not with snow but with greenery and flowers. It's beautiful. We go to the desert with family and friends. Sometimes we pick up a guitar or lute and sing together. We're happy that life triumphs over emptiness.
Our Kuwait Music Academy organizes family meetings. For our children; young, older, and adult students, their families, and friends. With musical flowers. On Friday, January 30th, in Salwa, Bl, 1, Str, 100, Al Danah School building, from early morning (9 am), every 2 hours the next Winter Concerts. This time with the first-ever public performance of the just established KMA Orchestra under the baton of Viktor Shramko at the evening Gala. Its soloist will be Danah Rabeea on piano.
It seems that the winter musical picture of Kuwait is taking from nature a spring-like appearance? It would be great to meet you there.
Enough words.
Let us play:
A. Vivaldi – Four Seasons: Winter
&
Fr. Schubert - Winterreise (Ian Bostridge - tenor & Saskia Giorgini - piano)
&
Erich Wolfgang Korngold - The Snowman ballet
He composed this ballet at the age of 11, just studying violin, before he became a famous Hollywood composer (2 Oscar Awards and 4 nominations). Amazing, isn't it?
Written by
Cezary Owerkowicz
Co-founder of Kuwait Music Academy and
Director of Treasure of Talents Festival in Kuwait
