Although it's now considered to be one of the most important violin concertos of the 19th century, Johannes Brahms' Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 was initially so controversial that some violinists even refused to play it! Here, the demanding concerto is features violin soloist Isabelle Faust and the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle on February 29, 2024, at the Barbican Centre in London.

(00:00) I. Allegro non troppo
(21:30) II. Adagio
(30:31) III. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace

When Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) vacationed at idyllic Lake Wörthersee in southern Austria in the summer of 1878, he was at the peak of his fame. Yet the northern German composer was not above asking his friend Joseph Joachim (1831–1907) to help him compose his Violin Concerto. Joachim, who was born in Hungary, was considered the most important — and virtuosic — violinist of his time. The two prominent musicians exchanged letters, discussing drafts of the concerto. Although Brahms didn't accept all of violinist's critical feedback, he still dedicated the concerto to Joachim. The collaboration between the two musicians could be imagined as a struggle between musical greats.

The concerto premiered on January 1, 1879, at Leipzig's Gewandhaus, with Joachim as soloist and the composer conducting. But the reactions to Brahms's only violin concerto were mixed. Some considered it a success, while others felt that it was written not for but against the violin. Critics lamented that it was almost impossible for the soloist to master technically. They also took issue with the fact that the wonderfully melodic theme of the second movement was first presented in great detail by the oboe before the entrance of the violin — the actual solo instrument of the concerto. After the challenging compositional collaboration with Joachim and the negative feedback, Brahms continued to refine his D major Concerto until he published it in its final form in October 1878.

Today, the Violin Concerto Op. 77 is one of the best-known works of its kind and is performed and recorded frequently. Joseph Joachim himself even called it one of the four most important violin concertos written by a German composer. Famous violinists have repeatedly played new cadenzas, although Joachim's cadenza is still the one most frequently performed today.

Brahms had initially planned a four-movement concerto, which was more akin to a symphony for orchestra and solo violin. However, while composing, he changed his mind and deleted the planned scherzo and another movement in the middle. Ultimately, the concerto took on a classical three-movement form with a slow movement in the center. Yet his Violin Concerto is not a virtuoso concerto in which the orchestra plays a supporting role to the violin. Rather, the solo violin can be described as first among equals. The soloist and orchestra drive the various motives forward in equal measure. At times, one even gets the impression that the solo violin needs to assert itself to stand out amidst the orchestra.

A striking feature of Brahms' Violin Concerto is the disproportionate length of the first movement, which takes up almost two-thirds of the entire work. Brahms' friend Clara Schumann (1819–1896) said the monumental opening movement was reminiscent of the first movement of his Second Symphony. Only once the orchestra has fully developed the three themes does the violin make its solo entrance. In the second movement — a lyrical adagio — the violin only comes into its own after the musical theme has been introduced by a solo oboe. In the cheerful final movement, however, the violin finally enters playing the main motive. The last movement is a rousing rondo with Hungarian-reminiscent dance themes that develop in the interplay between the violin and the orchestra.

Here's an interesting fact: The third movement of Brahms' Violin Concerto was used in the award-winning movie "There Will Be Blood" (2007) by Paul Thomas Anderson.

Text: Rita Kass

© 2024 C Major Entertainment

Watch more concerts here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBV5A14dyRWy1KSkwcG8LEey

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Famous pieces from the Romantic era: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBUCHNKKxIIM88sntDk1TVih

And more great music from Brahms: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBU5_GAu2NLbH0fBf6CEX8kQ

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