Violin Concerto No. 1 (Bruch)

Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26, is one of the most popular violin concertos in the repertoire. It continues to be performed and recorded by many violinists and is arguably Bruch's most famous composition. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,214089,00.html Bruch still No 1 in classic hall of fame | UK news | The Guardian ] ]

History

The concerto was first completed in 1866 and the first performance was given on 24 April 1866 by Otto von Königslow with Bruch himself conducting. The concerto was then considerably revised with help from celebrated violinist Joseph Joachim and completed in its present form in 1867. The première of the revised concerto was given by Joachim in Bremen on 5 January 1868 with Karl Martin Rheinthaler conducting.

Bruch had difficulty writing this concerto, his first major work. There was even a public performance of a preliminary version, but Bruch was dissatisfied. The celebrated violinist Joseph Joachim offered important suggestions (he would later play the same role in the creation of the Brahms violin concerto), and Bruch was smart enough to take his advice. When the concerto was presented in its final form in 1868, Joachim was the soloist (Bruch also dedicated the score to him). Bruch had originally planned to call the concerto a fantasy, which helps to explain the disposition of the three traditional movements. [ [http://www.cso.org/main.taf?p=5,5,5,67 Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Program Notes - Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor] ]

Instrumentation

The work is scored for solo violin and a standard classical orchestra consisting of two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings.Steinberg, M. "The Concerto: A Listener's Guide", OUP (1998)]

Movements

The concerto is in three movements:

# Vorspiel: Allegro moderato
# Adagio
# Finale: Allegro energico

The first movement is unusual in that it is a "Vorspiel", a prelude, to the second movement and is directly linked to it. The impression it gives towards listeners is almost like a smooth army march, yet an anticipatory feeling prevails throughout. The piece starts off slowly, with the melody first taken by the flutes, and then the ravishing solo violin becomes audible with a short cadenza. This repeats again, serving as an introduction to the main portion of the movement, which contains a strong first theme and a very melodic, and generally slower, second theme. The movement ends as it began, with the two short cadenzas more virtuosic than before, and the orchestra's final tutti flows into the second movement, connected by a single low note from the bassoon.

The slow second movement is often adored for its powerful melody, and is generally considered to be the heart of the concerto. The rich, expansive themes, presented by the violin, are underscored by a constantly moving orchestra part, keeping the movement alive and helping it flow from one part to the next.

The third movement, the finale, opens with an extremely intense, yet quiet, orchestral introduction that yields to the soloist's statement of the exuberant theme in brilliant double stops. It is very much like a dance that moves at a comfortably fast and energetic tempo. The second subject is a fine example of Romantic lyricism, a slower melody which cuts into the movement several times, before the dance theme returns with its fireworks. The piece ends with a huge accelerando, leading to a fiery finish that gets higher as it gets faster and louder and eventually concludes with two short, yet grand chords.

The concerto is also unusual in that Bruch declined to provide a substantive cadenza of his own for the work or allow for the insertion of a cadenza by the soloist.

Bruch also composed two more violin concertos, but neither are as well known as his first.

References

External links

* [http://www.kennedycenter.com/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=composition&composition_id=2426 Program notes for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts] by Richard Freed