The Violin Concerto in D minor, opus 47 by Jean Sibelius premiered in 1904 in Helsinki. Sibelius withheld this version from publication and made substantial revisions. The new version premiered in 1905, in Berlin, with Richard Strauss conducting and Karel Halir as soloist (see the FMIC link). The initial version was noticeably more demanding on the virtuosic skills of the soloist and has been resurrected in recent years for some special interest recordings. The revised version is considered one of the world's most important concertos. Jascha Heifetz is generally considered to have resurrected the concerto, which he considered one of the great concertos in the violin repertoire.
Like most concertos, the work is in three movements:
Allegro moderato in D minor and in 2/2 time
Adagio di molto in B-flat major and in 4/4 time
Allegro, ma non tanto in D major and in 3/4 time
This is the only major work for solo instrument and orchestra (concerto) that Sibelius wrote, though he composed several other pieces for orchestra and solo instrument. One noteworthy feature of the work is the way in which an extended cadenza for the soloist takes on the role of the development section in the sonata form first movement. Donald Francis Tovey dubbed the final movement a polonaise for polar bears. Much of the violin writing is virtuosic, but even the most showy passages alternate with lyrical, melodic sections.
Login to your account | Forgot your password?
