Historic Musical Bits: Wieniawski – Violin Concerto No. 2 in d minor op. 22 Isaac Stern and Philadelphia Orchestra-Eugene Ormandy: conductor-1957

Isaak Stern plays Wieniawski-Violin Concerto No. 2 in d minor op. 22 

Kanaal van viool7

Isaac Stern: violin-Philadelphia Orchestra–Eugene Ormandy: conductor-1957

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

English: Henryk Wieniawski (10 July 1835 – 31 March 1880) was a Polish composer and violinist. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22, by the Polish violin virtuoso, Henryk Wieniawski, may have been started in 1856, but the first performance did not take place until November 27, 1862, when he played it in St. Petersburg with Anton Rubinstein conducting. It was published in 1879, inscribed to his dear friend Pablo de Sarasate.

The work is in three movements:

1. Allegro moderato in D minor/F major

2. Romance: Andante non troppo in B flat major

3. Allegro con fuoco – Allegro moderato (à la Zingara) in D minor/D major

Both main elements of the first movement, its sombre, restless first subject, and its lyrical pendant (begun by a solo horn) are discussed freely and subject to dazzling embellishments by the solo violin. This movement includes a demanding variety of technique, including chromatic glissandi, double stops, arpeggios, sixths, octaves, thirds, chromatic scales, and artificial harmonics, not to mention a myriad of bowing techniques. The beat is based on a 4/4 or common time. The first movement uses a half-sonata form where the orchestral coda after the exposition transitions into the second movement instead of a development section.

The slow movement, a Romance, follows without a break. It is based on a lilting tune in 12/8 time and rises to an impassioned central climax.

A rhapsodic passage marked Allegro con fuoco and mainly a solo cadenza, leads to the finale, a dashing rondo in the gypsy style, which quotes the first movement’s subsidiary theme in the course of its second and third episodes. The final movement implements a 2/4 time, which allows the violinists to emphasize certain notes in the beginning of some measures.

Wieniawski’s second Violin Concerto remains one of the greatest violin concertos of the Romantic era, memorable for its lush and moving melodies and harmonies.

Instrumentation

The concerto is scored for solo violin and an orchestra consisting of 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones (alto, tenor and bass), timpani, and strings.

References

• Golding, Robin (1991). Wieniawski: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2, Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen. Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Hamburg, pp. 1-2.

Wieniawski-Violin Concerto No. 2 in d minor op. 22: great compositions/performances

Wieniawski–Violin Concerto No. 2 in d minor op. 22

   Kanaal van viool7

Isaac Stern: violin-Philadelphia Orchestra–Eugene Ormandy: conductor-1957

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22, by the Polish violin virtuoso, Henryk Wieniawski, may have been started in 1856, but the first performance did not take place until November 27, 1862, when he played it in St. Petersburg with Anton Rubinstein conducting. It was published in 1879, inscribed to his dear friend Pablo de Sarasate. The work is in three movements:

1. Allegro moderato in D minor/F major
2. Romance: Andante non troppo in B flat major
3. Allegro con fuoco – Allegro moderato (à la Zingara) in D minor/D major

Both main elements of the first movement, its sombre, restless first subject, and its lyrical pendant (begun by a solo horn) are discussed freely and subject to dazzling embellishments by the solo violin. This movement includes a demanding variety of technique, including chromatic glissandi, double stops, arpeggios, sixths, octaves, thirds, chromatic scales, and artificial harmonics, not to mention a myriad of bowing techniques. The beat is based on a 4/4 or common time. The first movement uses a half-sonata form where the orchestral coda after the exposition transitions into the second movement instead of a development section.

The slow movement, a Romance, follows without a break. It is based on a lilting tune in 12/8 time and rises to an impassioned central climax.

A rhapsodic passage marked Allegro con fuoco and mainly a solo cadenza, leads to the finale, a dashing rondo in the gypsy style, which quotes the first movement’s subsidiary theme in the course of its second and third episodes. The final movement implements a 2/4 time, which allows the violinists to emphasize certain notes in the beginning of some measures.

Wieniawski’s second Violin Concerto remains one of the greatest violin concertos of the Romantic era, memorable for its lush and moving melodies and harmonies.

Instrumentation

The concerto is scored for solo violin and an orchestra consisting of 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones (alto, tenor and bass), timpani, and strings.

Related articles

• Wieniawski – Polonaise brilliante (LEONID KOGAN): Great compositions/performances
• Make Music Part of Your Life Series: Beethoven-Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major Op. 58 (Rudolf Serkin: piano-Philadelphia Orchestra-Eugene Ormandy)
• Make Music Part of Your life Series: Chausson Poème – Olivier Charlier

Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1, in E minor, Op. 11 – Emil Gilels/Phylarmonia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy: Great compositons/performances

Chopin:  Piano Concerto No. 1,
in E minor,  Op. 11

  Kanaal van viool7

Emil Gilels: piano-Philadelphia Orchestra–Eugene Ormandy: conductor-(1967)
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11, is a piano concerto written by Frédéric Chopin in 1830. It was first performed on 11 October of that year, in Warsaw, with the composer as soloist, during one of his “farewell” concerts before leaving Poland.

It was the first of Chopin’s two piano concerti to be published, and was therefore given the designation of Piano Concerto “No. 1” at the time of publication, even though it was actually written immediately after what was later published as Piano Concerto No. 2. It is dedicated to Friedrich Kalkbrenner.

The concerto is scored for solo piano, pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, and bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, tenor trombone, timpani and strings.

Structure

It contains the three movements typical of instrumental concertos of the period:

1. Allegro maestoso
2. Romanze – Larghetto in E major
3. Rondo – Vivace in E major

Opinions of the concerto differ. Some critics feel that the orchestral support as written is dry and uninteresting. Others feel that the orchestral backing is carefully and deliberately written to fit in with the sound of the piano, and that the simplicity of arrangement is in deliberate contrast to the complexity of the harmony.

Both the first and second movements feature unusual modulations; in the opening Allegro, the exposition modulates to the parallel major, i-I, instead of the expected i-III. This tonal relation (i-III) between the second and the third theme finally occurs in the recapitulation, where an actual i-I modulation would have been expected, producing a different effect. The Romanze, although not strictly in sonata form, has its second theme of the exposition ascribe to the classical model of modulating to the dominant (I-V), and, when it returns, it modulates to the mediant (III).

Mily Balakirev re-orchestrated the concerto (using the same orchestral forces as Chopin employed), and also wrote arrangements for violin and orchestra as well as for piano solo of the second movement.

First movement

Chopin followed the structural example of concertos in the style of Jan Ladislav Dussek and Johann Nepomuk Hummel, with which he was familiar. He was interested in neither the Beethoven-style dialogue between orchestra and soloist, nor in a Weber-style interweaving of voices.

The first movement of the E minor concerto has three themes, which are introduced by the orchestra. The piano then plays the first theme (bar 139), followed by the lyric second theme (bar 155), accompanied by the main motif of the first theme in bass counterpoint. The third theme is in E major, introduced in the exposition by the orchestra and taken over by the piano (bar 222). The development begins in bar 385, with the piano opening with the second theme; the orchestra then develops the first theme. The recapitulation begins in bar 486 again with the orchestra playing its opening theme. The coda, whose bass trill paints a gloomy backdrop, requires utmost care by the pianist.

Related articles

• Sviatoslav Richter, 1976: Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2, No. 1
• Make Music Part of Your Life Series: Beethoven-Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major Op. 58 (Rudolf Serkin: piano-Philadelphia Orchestra-Eugene Ormandy)
• fabulous musical moments: Beethoven / Eschenbach, 1970: Piano Quartet in C Major, WoO 36, No. 3 – Amadeus Quartet
• Great Musical Moments: Rubinstein-Chopin-Piano Concerto No.2
• Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466
• Arthur Rubinstein plays Chopin: Concerto no. 2

Make Music Part of Your Life Series: Beethoven-Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major Op. 58 (Rudolf Serkin: piano-Philadelphia Orchestra-Eugene Ormandy)

***Beethoven-Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major Op. 58
***Rudolf Serkin: piano-Philadelphia Orchestra–Eugene Ormandy: ***conductor-1962

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ludwig van Beethoven‘s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58, was composed in 1805–1806, although no autograph copy survives. It is scored for solo piano and an orchestra consisting of a flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings. Like many classical concertos, it has three movements:

1. Allegro moderato
2. Andante con moto (in E minor)
3. Rondo (Vivace)

Premiere and reception

It was premiered in March 1807 at a private concert of the home of Prince Franz Joseph von Lobkowitz. The Coriolan Overture and the Fourth Symphony were premiered in that same concert.^[1] However, the public premiere was not until 22 December 1808 in Vienna at the Theater an der Wien. Beethoven again took the stage as soloist. This was part of a marathon concert which saw Beethoven’s last appearance as a soloist with orchestra, as well as the premieres of the Choral Fantasy and the Fifth and Sixth symphonies. Beethoven dedicated the concerto to his friend, student, and patron, the Archduke Rudolph.

A review in the May 1809 edition of the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung states that “[this concerto] is the most admirable, singular, artistic and complex Beethoven concerto ever”.^[2] However, after its first performance, the piece was neglected until 1836, when it was revived by Felix Mendelssohn. Today, the work is widely performed and recorded, and is considered to be one of the central works of the piano concerto literature.

 

 

Great Performances: Edouard Lalo-Cello Concerto in D minor

Leonard Rose: cello-Philadelphia Orchestra-Eugene Ormandy: conductor-1967