Top three favourite 20th Century violin concertos

Started by vandermolen, April 25, 2015, 04:03:09 AM

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Mirror Image

#20
April 26, 2015, 05:58:46 AM
Quote from: Cato on April 26, 2015, 05:51:38 AM
A work that should be much better known, for it is a marvel:

[asin]B00004XPJR[/asin]


Karl Amadeus Hartmann's Concerto Funebre for Violin and Strings.

Indeed and that Faust performance is outstanding.

Archaic Torso of Apollo

#21
April 26, 2015, 07:13:35 AM
Sibelius
Berg
Martinu #2

I bought the much-vaunted Pettersson #2 a while ago, but have yet to listen to it. Gotta be in the right mood for that composer.
formerly VELIMIR (before that, Spitvalve)

"Who knows not strict counterpoint, lives and dies an ignoramus" - CPE Bach

Dax

#22
April 26, 2015, 07:22:51 AM
Quote from: amw on April 26, 2015, 01:51:55 AM
I was going to come up with a justification, but I realised those are literally my favourites—maybe sub in Prokofiev 2 or Bartók 2, but I don't listen to those as much. Szymanowski, Strav, Shost 1 and Berg are definitely in the 2nd tier of my favourites, despite being undoubted masterpieces, and have the undignified position of having to vie with enjoyable 2nd-raters like Rochberg and Schuman for my affections. No one will ever convince me the Taneyev is other than 1st rate, I've loved Dutilleux forever (cimbaloms! amazing orchestration! great tunes! atonality! orchestra tuning up in the middle!) and Ligeti is his masterpiece and has ocarinas in it.

I wish the Barber opening movement was 80 years long so it could be the soundtrack to my entire life :<

Surprised there are not too many mentions for Szymanowski 1 (especially given the Wanda Wilkomirska recording). Wot, no votes for Skalkottas?
Taneyev and Dutilleux are on my check-out list.

Mirror Image

#23
April 26, 2015, 07:29:41 AM
Quote from: Archaic Torso of Apollo on April 26, 2015, 07:13:35 AM
Sibelius
Berg
Martinu #2

I bought the much-vaunted Pettersson #2 a while ago, but have yet to listen to it. Gotta be in the right mood for that composer.

Great list. Yeah, the Pettersson Violin Concerto No. 2 is a very nice work. Like his middle trilogy of symphonies, this concerto has some hauntingly gorgeous moments that makes the bleak journey well worth the effort.

chadfeldheimer

#24
April 26, 2015, 08:03:46 AM
My list would have at least those 5 entries. Sorry for violating the rules ;)

Berg - Violin Concerto
Bartok - Violin Concerto No. 2
Hindemith - Violin Concerto
Korngold - Violin Concerto
Ligeti - Violin Concerto

Christo

#25
April 26, 2015, 10:06:30 AM Last Edit: April 26, 2015, 10:57:26 AM by Christo
Barber
Moeran
Taktakishvili 2

Edit: sorry, typo.
... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

vandermolen

#26
April 26, 2015, 10:39:28 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on April 26, 2015, 05:58:46 AM
Indeed and that Faust performance is outstanding.

I agree about the Hartmann work - probably my favourite composition of his. I have an old Supraphon LP of it.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

#27
April 26, 2015, 10:40:35 AM
Quote from: Mirror Image on April 26, 2015, 07:29:41 AM
Great list. Yeah, the Pettersson Violin Concerto No. 2 is a very nice work. Like his middle trilogy of symphonies, this concerto has some hauntingly gorgeous moments that makes the bleak journey well worth the effort.

I find the last few minutes of it overwhelmingly moving.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

#28
April 26, 2015, 10:42:48 AM
Quote from: Christo on April 26, 2015, 10:06:30 AM
Barber
Moeran
Taktakhishvili 2

Must look out for your third choice. I like the Moeran very much too, although it is the Cello Concerto that I consider one of the great ones.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

San Antone

#30
April 26, 2015, 11:23:24 AM Last Edit: April 26, 2015, 11:29:40 AM by sanantonio
Yes, there is another thread, where I posted this the other day

Quote from: sanantonio on April 20, 2015, 10:40:52 AM
Don't know if this my favorite but I like it a lot.

Egon Wellesz: Concerto for violin and orchestra, op.84 (1961)

https://www.youtube.com/v/_zttIiEQN_I



Morton Feldman : Violin and Orchestra

https://www.youtube.com/v/A-YmabJFuc8



#3 would be the Stravinsky

https://www.youtube.com/v/OnwvSOxAZgM

Although this video is obviously not the Stravinsky with Neville Mariner - Lorin Maazel and Hahn, but who know's what work.  Audio is Stravinsky.

jfdrex

#31
April 26, 2015, 11:24:00 AM
Top two:  Elgar and Sibelius

... with Korngold and Rózsa duking it out for third place.  And Moeran receiving Honorable Mention.

Archaic Torso of Apollo

#32
April 26, 2015, 11:40:44 AM
I do think the 20th century produced a great crop of good violin concertos. Others I like (some mentioned above, some not) include both Pistons, Rochberg (uncut version), Schuman, Tüür, Adams, Rouse, and the oddly neglected Shostakovich #2.
formerly VELIMIR (before that, Spitvalve)

"Who knows not strict counterpoint, lives and dies an ignoramus" - CPE Bach

Moonfish

#33
April 26, 2015, 12:35:51 PM
Quote from: jfdrex on April 26, 2015, 11:24:00 AM
Top two:  Elgar and Sibelius

... with Korngold and Rózsa duking it out for third place.  And Moeran receiving Honorable Mention.

*applauds*
"Every time you spend money you are casting a vote for the kind of world you want...."
Anna Lappé

Cato

#34
April 26, 2015, 04:41:35 PM
Quote from: jfdrex on April 26, 2015, 11:24:00 AM
Top two:  Elgar and Sibelius

... with Korngold and Rózsa duking it out for third place.  And Moeran receiving Honorable Mention.

The Rózsa was composed via a request from Jascha Heifetz, who gave the premiere and also recorded it, so that is a high recommendation!
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

Florestan

#35
April 27, 2015, 02:39:38 AM
I´m quite surprised nobody mentioned Khatchaturian.

https://www.youtube.com/v/TeKZAbFj83I
"Great music is that which penetrates the ear with facility and leaves the memory with difficulty. Magical music never leaves the memory." — Thomas Beecham

Brian

#36
April 27, 2015, 04:55:27 AM
Quote from: Florestan on April 27, 2015, 02:39:38 AM
I´m quite surprised nobody mentioned Khatchaturian.
I did! Although I wonder if the concerto is maligned, or neglected, because it has such a brash opening - and because Oistrakh and Kogan are practically the only violinists who were ever able to play it accurately.

Karl Henning

#37
April 27, 2015, 05:07:26 AM
Thread Duty:

(As I see that the criterion is favorite)—

Prokofiev g minor concerto
Shostakovich a minor concerto
Nielsen

Honorable mentions:

Elgar
Stravinsky
Sibelius
Schoenberg
Shostakovich c# minor concerto
Prokofiev D Major concerto
Schuman
Wuorinen concerto for amplified violin
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Wanderer

#38
April 27, 2015, 07:57:16 AM
Quote from: Dax on April 26, 2015, 07:22:51 AM
Wot, no votes for Skalkottas?

Damn, I forgot Skalkottas! A superb violin concerto. His Concerto for 2 violins is even better, but not eligible for this thread.

Cato

#39
April 27, 2015, 08:17:35 AM
Quote from: Wanderer on April 27, 2015, 07:57:16 AM
Damn, I forgot Skalkottas! A superb violin concerto. His Concerto for 2 violins is even better, but not eligible for this thread.

Skalkottas is forgotten too often in many other areas!  Yes, his Violin Concerto is a must!

http://www.youtube.com/v/HD7934Hsvq8
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)
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