Auditory Pareidolia and the Music of Vladimir Rebikov: How the Ordinary Becomes Art

Nature is not merely a backdrop for human drama. It is an active participant, a co-author, and sometimes even the main character. When composers turn to the seasons, it is as if they are gazing into a mirror that reflects not only landscapes but also their own emotions. Spring is not just the sound of melting ice and birdsong—it is the hope that breaks through the ice of doubt. Summer is not just heat and vibrant colors—it is the moment of peak bloom when everything seems possible. Autumn is not just decay—it is the wisdom that comes with age. Winter is not just cold—it is the silence in which new ideas are born.

The seasons are a cycle that repeats year after year, century after century. But within this repetition lies a profound philosophy. By creating cycles of works dedicated to the seasons, composers remind us that life is not a straight line but a spiral. We return to the same emotions, but each time on a new level. Antonio Vivaldi, in his famous concertos The Four Seasons, does not merely describe nature—he creates a musical map of the human soul, where each season corresponds to a stage of the inner journey.

Composers are artists who paint not with colors but with sounds. And the seasons provide them with the richest palette. The springtime trills of the violin, summer storms in the powerful chords of the piano, the rustling passages of strings in autumn, the howling wind in the low registers of the cello in winter—all of this transforms music into a living painting. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, in his cycle The Seasons, does not simply describe the months—he creates miniatures where every sound is a brushstroke, and every melody is a complete image.

The seasons are not just a natural phenomenon but also a cultural code. Every culture has its own associations tied to the seasons. In Japan, it is the blooming of cherry blossoms and autumn moons; in Russia, it is Maslenitsa and winter festivities. When composers address these themes, they do not merely describe nature—they immerse the listener in a cultural context, creating a bridge between the past and the present. Each season is not just a set of natural phenomena but also a specific emotional state. Spring is the thrill of awakening, summer is the joy of life's fullness, autumn is the melancholy of decay, and winter is peace and reflection. By addressing these themes, composers do not just convey emotions—they give them a voice. And this voice resonates in the hearts of listeners because each of us has experienced both spring and winter in our souls.

The theme of the seasons in music is not just a description of nature. It is a dialogue in which composers speak of the eternal: life and death, joy and sorrow, time and eternity. It is a reminder that we are part of something greater, part of a cycle that repeats but is never the same. And when we listen to these works, we become part of this dialogue, part of eternity.