Dvorak's Violin Concerto

[hornteacher]

I've recently finished a score study on this work, and may I say I believe this concerto is highly underrated.  I guess its been overshadowed by the monumentally great cello concerto, but I think it deserves a lot more attention.  Not only is it full of really beautiful melodies, Dvorak really plays around with traditional form to create some really interesting innovations.

For example, the first theme is not presented in it entirety at the beginning, it is foreshadowed in segments and then pieced together before its initial full statement.  The Recapitulation doesn't include the 2nd theme at all.  In fact it melds into the slow movement without actually "finishing" the first movement.  The finale is innovative too as it incorporates the Czech Dumka and Furiant dances into a Sonata Rondo form.

I am all about this concerto, and I would love to hear other opinions on the music itself and why it seems to be a neglected work.

[val]

I like this Concerto more than the Cello Concerto. The motifs are beautiful and even if the development seems a little rhapsodic, the rhythm, the dialogue between the soloist and the orchestra, in special the winds, are wonderful.
The version of Suk, conducted by Ancerl remains my favorite.

[Harry Collier]

Not a bad concerto. It goes on for rather a long time. I always find Dvorak's works attractive on the first 2-3 hearings but that the music doesn't wear too well after that. If he'd made the first and third movements of the violin concerto shorter, the work might be more appreciated. Good slow movement, however. The work has done quite well with recordings over the years.

[Mark]

I'm not a huge fan of this concerto, and can fully understand why it's not played more often. Aside from the catchy third movement, it's just not (IMO) memorable. It might be technically good for all sorts of reasons (I wouldn't know), but it's hardly a virtuosic crowd-pleaser. Which is not to say that it should appeal to the masses; I'm just voicing that I can hear why Tchaikovsky's, Mendelssohn's and Sibelius' Violin Concerti are more regularly programmed in the concert hall.

[hautbois]

What a coincidence, because i have just purchased this in the afternoon:

Haven't listened to it yet, but Dvorak has rarely failed me!

Howard

[johnQpublic]

It's a good enough concerto that it should be played more often although it's not as great as the cello concerto. I do feel it's better than the Piano Concerto.

I also feel the VC's final movement is the strongest ("most memorable").

My disc includes an equally good Coleridge-Taylor concerto:

[Mark]

I do feel it's better than the Piano Concerto.

Wow! Didn't see that coming. I rate Dvorak's Piano Concerto among my top ten.

I also feel the VC's final movement is the strongest ("most memorable").

Absolutely agree. I think it's almost its only redeeming feature.

My disc includes an equally good Coleridge-Taylor concerto:

Which label, please?

[longears]

It's one of my favorite VCs and might just be my favorite work by Dvorak.  It's sweet and beautiful and lacks the flashiness that calls attention to itself and shouts, "Hey--listen to ME! Aren't I SPECIAL!" which might account for its relative obscurity.

Try Suwanai's recording.

[Mark]

I have the USSR State Radio Symphony Orchestra under Kondrashin with Oistrakh. I know there's a lovely version on Chandos, too, but I still haven't bought it. Actually, I want that disc for the Piano Concerto pairing!

[johnQpublic]

It's on the "AVIE" label, Mark.

[m_gigena]

It might be technically good for all sorts of reasons

It is. For example:

but it's hardly a virtuosic crowd-pleaser.

That's a crowd problem. 

You should watch it live. It's as exciting as the Tchaikovsky and makes the Mendelssohn look pale.

[Mark]

It's on the "AVIE" label, Mark.

Surperb, thanks.

I'll see if it's available on eMusic ... add it to the 99 other CDs awaiting download.

[Mark]

You should watch it live. It's as exciting as the Tchaikovsky and makes the Mendelssohn look pale.

Personally, I care little for either of those two works, preferring both the Brahms and Sibelius.

[m_gigena]

Personally, I care little for either of those two works, preferring both the Brahms and Sibelius.

It's not about you, but about how false is your idea that it doesn't impress the audience, and that's why it lost room to

Tchaikovsky's, Mendelssohn's and Sibelius' Violin Concerti

.

[Mark]

It's not about you, but about how false is your idea that it doesn't impress the audience ...

Well, if I'm wrong (which I probably am), explain why it's neither programmed nor recorded as often as the great warhorses.

[JoshLilly]

The overprogramming of the warhorses shows stagnation more than anything.   0:)

I like Dvořák's Violin Concerto quite a bit. A little unusual for me, but I think I fall in line with the mainstream on this one in preference of his big concerti: Cello, Violin, Piano, in that order. But in my book, bad Dvořák is good music! And I don't consider the Violin Concerto bad Dvořák, either. I've actually listened to it more than his other two concerti in my lifetime, probably combined. I'm not really sure why; I also love to have it playing at work while I'm working on something lengthy. Last week, I actually played that work 4 times at work; glad to see this thread.

Just to add some factual information, from Wikipedia:


Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53 is a concerto for violin and orchestra composed by Antonín Dvořák in 1879. The concerto was premiered in 1883 by František Ondříček in Prague. He also gave the premieres in Vienna and London. Today it remains an important work in the violin repertoire.

The concerto's structure is the classical three movements of fast-slow-fast. The second movement is most famous for its beautiful lyricism.

1. Allegro ma non troppo
2. Adagio ma non troppo
3. Finale: Allegro giocoso ma non troppo

Antonín Dvořák was inspired to write his concerto after having met Joseph Joachim in 1878 and composed the work with the intention of dedicating it him. However, when he finished the concerto in 1879, Joachim became skeptical about it. Joachim was a strict classicist and objected to Dvořák's inter alia, or his abrupt truncation of the first movement's orchestral tutti. Joachim also didn't like the fact that the recapitulation was cut short and that it led directly to the slow second movement. It is also assumed that he was upset with the persistent repetition found in the third movement. However, Joachim never said anything outright and instead claimed to be editing the solo part. He never actually performed the piece.

[m_gigena]

Well, if I'm wrong (which I probably am), explain why it's neither programmed nor recorded as often as the great warhorses.

I don't know, but I'm sure it's not because it fails to attract concert goers.

Just to add some factual information

An interesting programme on this concerto can be listened online at the BBC Discovering Music subsite, on Real Audio format.

[Mark]

An interesting programme on this concerto can be listened online at the BBC Discovering Music subsite, on Real Audio format.

Will have to check that out. Thanks.

[karlhenning]

Well, if I'm wrong (which I probably am), explain why it's neither programmed nor recorded as often as the great warhorses.

I don't know, but I'm sure it's not because it fails to attract concert goers.

Well, a large part of the non-programming is probably the closed circle of:

(1.) There is already a substantial list of pre-WWI violin concerti regularly in the repertory (Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius . . . throw in a couple of the Mozart concerti for good measure).

(2.) Any violinist who wants to set out on a solo career has to have all these "in his fingers," for when an orchestra books him.

(3.) An orchestra books a soloist in the repertory he feels capable of bringing to a state of performance which reflects well on him.

(4.) Go to (1.) and repeat.

Now, when a violinist expands his repertory, there are undeniable 20th-century masterpieces which he cannot exactly ignore (Prokofiev, Berg, Elgar, Nielsen, Stravinsky, e.g.).  A 19th-c. composer such as Dvořák will not appear to anyone not already familiar with the piece to offer much added value to the rep already in the toolbox — thus it was exceptional of Gidon Kremer, for instance, to so ardently espouse the Schumann concerto.

[m_gigena]

Now, when a violinist expands his repertory, there are undeniable 20th-century masterpieces which he cannot exactly ignore (Prokofiev, Berg, Elgar, Nielsen, Stravinsky, e.g.).

You just ignored Glazunov's.