Violin Concerto (Beethoven)
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Ludwig van Beethoven's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major was written in 1806. It is Beethoven's opus 61.
The work was premiered on December 23, 1806 in the Theater an der Wien in Vienna. Beethoven wrote the concerto for his colleague Franz Clement, a leading violinist of the day, who had earlier given him helpful advice on his opera Fidelio. The occasion was a benefit concert for Clement.
It is believed that Beethoven finished the solo part so late that Clement had to sight-read part of his performance. Perhaps to express his annoyance, or to show what he could do when he had time to prepare, Clement interrupted the concerto between the first and second movements with a solo composition of his own, played on one string of the violin held upside down.
The premiere was not a success, and the concerto was little performed in the following decades.
The work was revived in the 1840s, well after Beethoven's death, with performances by the violinist Joseph Joachim, with the orchestra led by Felix Mendelssohn; ever since it has been one of the most important works of the violin concerto repertoire, and it is frequently performed and recorded today.
The work is in three movements:
- Allegro ma non troppo
- Larghetto
- Rondo (Allegro)
The most important motif or musical idea of the work (five rhythmically even taps on the timpani) is heard in the first two bars of the first movement and can be found permeating throughout the entire work.
After the timpani introduction, the movement continues leisurely with simple symmetrical phrases in the woodwind section until bar 10 where another important motif is first heard. This motif (which is itself based on the opening timpani figure) consists of four D-sharp notes the key of D major (a striking dissonance). This motif reappears frequently in it's own right later in the movement, especially in the development and Kreisler's cadenza. At around 25 minutes, this is one of Beethoven's longest single movements.
The second movement, in G major, consists of variations on a theme first played at the opening by muted strings. In each of the variations there is always another instrument or section to play against the violin. For example, in the first variation, the horn section plays the opening motif from the theme while the violin plays other material. Ideas from the first movement can be occasionally found throughout the movement, most notably a theme in bar 45 has a striking resemblence to the first subject in the opening movement, and some references to the opening timpani motif can be found.
A harmonically interesting ending links attacca to the rondo finale which is in a 6/8 time signature, the main melody of which imitates a hunting horn or bird and is quite well known. A powerful section in the tonic minor adds pathos to an essentially chirpy movement. During this section, the bassoon echoes the minore theme after it is first heard in the violin, which can remind the listener of the third variation in the second movement in which the bassoon also played with the violin. There are frequent references to the timpani motif that opened the entire work throughtout the finale: for example, four D major chords are played before the final violin cadenza.
Cadenzas for the work have been written by several notable violinists, including Joachim. The cadenzas by Fritz Kreisler are probably most often employed.
An arrangement of the work as a piano concerto exists as opus 61a, although it is uncertain whether the task was undertaken by Beethoven. There is evidence, however, to suggest that is was completed by a contemporary who was left some instruction by the composer to the manner in which to arrange the solo line. Regardless, Beethoven did write his own cadenzas for the arrangement which unusually feature the timpani as well as the solo instrument, possibly a reference to the opening timpani motif. These were later arranged for the violin by the 20th century violinists Max Rostal and Wolfgang Schneiderhan. This version is not so often played as his five "original" piano concertos.
External links
- Theme from third movement (http://www.8notes.com/school/riffs/violin/beethoven_violin_concerto.asp)