Top three favourite 20th Century violin concertos

[vandermolen]

Can't see a previous thread but no doubt there is one somewhere.

Pettersson No.2

Shostakovich No. 1

Malcolm Williamson Violin Concerto

[Sergeant Rock]

Berg
Korngold
Elgar

[springrite]

Berg
Pettersson 2
Nielsen

[North Star]

My list would include three of these:

Sibelius
Prokofiev 2nd
Bartók 2nd
Shostakovich 1st
Stravinsky
Britten
Berg

[Mirror Image]

Oh...boy, not an easy decision, but here's what I picked (in no particular order):

Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1
Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2
Sibelius: Violin Concerto

Other contenders: Delius, Barber, Prokofiev VC No. 2, Stravinsky, Berg, Britten, Hartmann, among others.

[vandermolen]

Thanks for the speedy and interesting replies from the usual suspects. 
I remember liking the Bartok No.2 on LP so must listen to that again and the Prokofiev No.2. I also like the Shostakovich 2nd Violin Concerto. In the case of Walton I much prefer his Viola Concerto to the better known Violin Concerto. Of the ones in my list I consider the Allan Pettersson No. 2 to be the greatest of all.

[Brian]

Sibelius
Barber
Martinu No 2

Honorable Mentions: Prokofiev No 2, Korngold, Nielsen, Khachaturian

[vandermolen]

Sibelius
Barber
Martinu No 2

Honorable Mentions: Prokofiev No 2, Korngold, Nielsen, Khachaturian

Don't know the Martinu so must hear that one. I like the Barber very much and could have included that one myself. Oddly, as an admirer of Sibelius I don't like his VC very much although it is clearly a great work. I heard it live at the Proms in a London last year.

[Moonfish]

Elgar
Sibelius
Barber

[Moonfish]

Oh...boy, not an easy decision, but here's what I picked (in no particular order):

Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1
Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2
Sibelius: Violin Concerto

Other contenders: Delius, Barber, Prokofiev VC No. 2, Stravinsky, Berg, Britten, Hartmann, among others.

What! No Elgar!!!!     

[springrite]

What! No Elgar!!!!     

Not even among "others"... 

[Wanderer]

Not in order of preference:

Britten
Sibelius
Bartók 2

Other great favourites: Elgar, Korngold, Prokofiev 1 & 2, Nielsen, Bartók 1, Szymanowski 1 & 2, Walton, Myaskovsky, Martinů 1 & 2, Corigliano, Gubaidulina "in tempus praesens".

Oddly, as an admirer of Sibelius I don't like his VC very much although it is clearly a great work.

Have you tried the original version? I like it better than the standard, revised one.

[amw]

Taneyev Suite de Concert
Dutilleux L'Arbre des Songes
Ligeti

Barber honourable mention for the 1st movement in particular.

[vandermolen]

Not in order of preference:

Britten
Sibelius
Bartók 2

Other great favourites: Elgar, Korngold, Prokofiev 1 & 2, Nielsen, Bartók 1, Szymanowski 1 & 2, Walton, Myaskovsky, Martinů 1 & 2, Corigliano, Gubaidulina "in tempus praesens".


Have you tried the original version? I like it better than the standard, revised one.

That's a very good point about the original version which I will look out for (oh no! Not another CD purchase  )
I had the Bartok on LP and I recall that it had a wonderful opening to it. Agree with you about Korngold, Prokofiev and Szymanowski; and of course Miaskovsky, although I don't think it's as good as his Cello Concerto.

[vandermolen]

Taneyev Suite de Concert
Dutilleux L'Arbre des Songes
Ligeti

Barber honourable mention for the 1st movement in particular.

Interesting choices. Very much agree about the opening movement of the Barber. I recently purchased the Ligeti mainly due to a growing interest in Norgard, whose Violin Concerto is the accompanying work. Up until now I have only known his music from'2001: A Space Odyssey'  .

[amw]

Interesting choices. Very much agree about the opening movement of the Barber. I recently purchased the Ligeti mainly due to a growing interest in Norgard, whose Violin Concerto is the accompanying work. Up until now I have only known his music from'2001: A Space Odyssey'  .

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 :<

[vandermolen]

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 :<

Thanks for this response. I have already played the Ligeti once and it made me want to return to it. Taneyev is a composer I like but I don't know the Suite de Concert. One of his cello works is, I think, coupled with the EMI Sargent/Rostropovich recording of Miaskovsky's Cello Concerto. I can relate to your comment about 'enjoyable second raters'.

[amw]

Taneyev is a composer I like but I don't know the Suite de Concert. One of his cello works is, I think, coupled with the EMI Sargent/Rostropovich recording of Miaskovsky's Cello Concerto.

EMI Matrix? Yes, that would be it, as performed by noted cellist David Oistrakh An excellent recording all around though I'm also a fan of Gringolts on Hyperion.

I think the 20th century is the true renaissance of the 2nd rate violin concerto. So many that are just way better than they're given credit for. Ginastera, Gerhard, Skalkottas, Weinberg etc. You know the drill already, lol.

[Mirror Image]

What! No Elgar!!!!     

Wow....you're right, Peter! I forgot to mention Elgar. How could I forget this gorgeous work. Oh well, I can't list them all.

[Cato]

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.