Final answer:
Vivaldi communicated his program to listeners through music descriptions and accompanying sonnets that provided a narrative. This similar thematic programming approach enhances listener experience today, whether through narratives or showcasing underrepresented composers.
Step-by-step explanation:
Antonio Vivaldi communicated his program, which is the concept or story behind his music, to his listeners primarily through the music itself, by embedding the narrative within the composition. This approach is most evident in his famous work 'The Four Seasons' where each concerto depicts different scenes and emotions associated with the respective season.
Vivaldi also wrote sonnets or short poems that were published alongside the music, describing the scenes and moods the music was intended to evoke, providing a direct narrative to the audience. Listeners could then follow the storyline as they listened to the music, similar to reading a program or a set of instructions relating the music to the images or scenes described in the sonnets.
In a broader consideration, Vivaldi's method of establishing a program is much like curators of art and music today share thematic material. For instance, as in the practice of programming music that shares a common theme or narrative—whether it be the highlighting of underrepresented composers or the progression of a thematic story through music—Vivaldi's approach set the stage for this.
The selection of compositions and their order can indeed present a narrative or enhance the experience of hearing the pieces by virtue of their shared program, thereby making the program itself a vital aspect of the musical presentation.