Favorite 20th Century Violin Concertos

[Mirror Image]

This poll wasn't too hard to make as these composers wrote some of the most noteworthy VCs in the 20th Century I think. If I missed some I'm sorry. I kind of rushed through this poll a bit and I realize that many of these composers wrote more than one violin concerto, so in order to save myself time, if you like any of the composers in question VCs (if they wrote more than of one) just vote for that composer.

You are allowed up to 4 votes. Let's have some fun! 

[listener]

WALTON omitted deliberately?

[Mirror Image]

WALTON omitted deliberately?

Not deliberately, but I just added him.

[Mirror Image]

Berg, Bartok, and Barber are in a dead heat. Very interesting to say the least. I admire each of these composer's concertos.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Berg, Sibelius, Ligeti and Martinu (#2) got my vote. Though I think DSCH #1 belongs in there somewhere.

[Opus106]

This poll wasn't too hard to make as these composers wrote some of the most noteworthy VCs in the 20th Century I think. If I missed some I'm sorry. I kind of rushed through this poll a bit and I realize that many of these composers wrote more than one violin concerto, so in order to save myself time, if you like any of the composers in question VCs (if they wrote more than of one) just vote for that composer.

This is one reason why I would recommend everyone to include an 'other' option in polls (where applicable), and request the voter to be more specific in a post. In a way, that would make the options exhaustive. I won't vote now, as I haven't listened to them all. And of those I've listened to, some only once or twice.

Current favourites among those listed include: Barber, Bartok, Nielsen and Sibelius. (Yep, much mushy late-Romanticism. )

[The new erato]

Shostakovich have 2, both of which are on my top 5 list. Now which Shostakovich is meant in the poll?

And Milhauds 2nd concerto also is on it.

Add Pettersson 2 and bartok 2 and you have my top 5 list.

[Luke]

Ravel violin concerto? 

[Scarpia]

Ravel violin concerto?

[DavidW]

Well I guess I'm not the only shocked by the Ravel entry!

I voted for Berg, Sibelius, Shostakovich and Bartok as my favs.   Schoenberg and Prokofiev are not far behind though...

[Scarpia]

Ravel violin concerto? 

I'm sure it would have been great!  I'm voting for it.   

[damn, can't change vote.]

[escher]

andrew imbrie and william schuman   

[Sid]

I don't know all of them, but of the ones I know, I really like the Schoenberg. This work raises many more questions than can be comfortably answered, but this is exactly why I like it. Sometimes I hear a sene of resolution at the end, sometimes I don't. & the way he works with that single theme, which permeates the whole work, is just genius. I've got the Hahn performance and it's beyond reproach, imo...

[Conor71]

Barber, Sibelius, Shostakovich (1) and Elgar .

[Mirror Image]

Ravel violin concerto? 

Ravel's Tzigane isn't generally considered a "concerto" per se, but it was his only violin concertante work. Not sure if this qualifies, but there you go.

[snyprrr]

I like the Hindemith. Milhaud No.2.

DSCH 1-2 will always win hands down, right?, because of those searing minor key melodies? The Denisov is pretty creepy, and Schnittke has some good moments in his four.

Modren-wise I like the Ligeti, Berio, and Keleman,... but, that Xenakis Dox-Orkh is my absolute least fav VC. Other Arditti concertos (Ferneyhough, Francesconi, Harvey, Dillon) all have a certain incisiveness I like.



Schuman and Piston.



And I do like Janacek's Pilgrimage of the Soul. Not too keen on Zimmermann's, or Pfitzner's. Hartmann's ok. Schoenberg's ok.



I'll go with Berg,... for the smoothness.



What about Feldman or Maderna?

[Maciek]

Well, if you're counting Tzigane, then you definitely should count Lutoslawski's Partita+Chain2 combo.

[Brian]

Well, if you're counting Tzigane, then you definitely should count Lutoslawski's Partita+Chain2 combo.

Yeah, Tzigane is a weird one because that opens up a huge set of floodgates. Suk's Fantasy? Waxman's Carmen Fantasy?

[71 dB]

Elgar & Nielsen got my votes

[Sergeant Rock]

Elgar, Walton and Berg were the easy choices. But then I hit a brick wall with the three Ss: Sibelius, Shostakovich or Szymanowski. Impossible to choose actually so I just went with the one I've been listening to a lot in recent weeks: the Pole.

Sarge