Violin Concerto (Mendelssohn)

Felix Mendelssohn'sViolin ConcertoinE minor,Op.64, is his last large orchestral work. It holds an important place in theviolinrepertoire and is one of the most popular and most frequently performedviolin concertosin history.A typical performance lasts just under half an hour. Mendelssohn originally proposed the idea of the violin concerto toFerdinand David, a close friend and thenconcertmasterof theLeipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Although conceived in 1838, the work took another six years to complete and was notpremiereduntil 1845. During this time, Mendelssohn maintained a regular correspondence with David, who gave him many suggestions. The work itself was one of the foremost violin concertos of theRomanticera and was influential on many other composers. Although the concerto consists of threemovementsin a standard fast–slow–fast structure and each movement follows a traditionalform, the concerto was innovative and included many novel features for its time. Distinctive aspects include the almost immediate entrance of the violin at the beginning of the work (rather than following an orchestral preview of the first movement's major themes, as was typical inClassical-era concertos) and thethrough-composedform of the concerto as a whole, in which the three movements are melodically and harmonically connected and playedattacca(each movement immediately following the previous one without any pauses).(citation needed) The concerto was well received and soon became regarded as one of the greatest violin concertos of all time. The concerto remains popular to this day and has developed a reputation as an essential concerto for all aspiring concert violinists to master, and usually one of the first Romantic era concertos they learn. Many professional violinists have recorded the concerto and the work is regularly performed in concerts andclassical music competitions. Mendelssohn also wrote a virtuosoConcerto for Violin and String Orchestra in D minorbetween 1821 and 1823, when he was 12 to 14 years old, at the same time that he produced histwelve string symphonies.This work was "rediscovered" and first recorded in 1951 byYehudi Menuhin.

摘自:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin_Concerto_(Mendelssohn)

Violin Concerto No. 1 (Bruch)

Max Bruch'sViolin Concerto No. 1inG minor,Op.26, is one of the most popularviolin concertosin the repertoire[1]and, along with theScottish Fantasy, the composer's most famous work. It has been recorded often.

History
The concerto was first completed in 1866 and the first performance was given on 24 April 1866 byOtto von Königslow, with Bruch conducting. The concerto was then considerably revised with help from celebrated violinistJoseph Joachimand completed in its present form in 1867. The premiere of the revised concerto was given by Joachim inBremenon 5 January 1868, withKarl Martin Rheinthalerconducting.

The fate of the score
Bruch sold the score to the publisherN. Simrockoutright for a small lump sum — but he kept a copy of his own.At the end ofWorld War I, he was destitute, having been unable to enforce the payment of royalties for his other works because of chaotic world-wide economic conditions. He sent his autograph to the duo-pianistsRose and Ottilie Sutro(for whom he had written hisConcerto in A-flat minor for Two Pianos and Orchestra, Op. 88a, in 1912), so that they could sell it in the United States and send him the money. Bruch died in October 1920, without ever receiving any money. The Sutro sisters decided to keep the score themselves, but they claimed to have sold it, and sent Bruch's family some worthless German paper money as the alleged proceeds of the alleged sale. They always refused to divulge any details of the supposed purchaser. In 1949, they sold the autograph toMary Flagler Cary, whose collection, including the Bruch concerto, now resides at thePierpont Morgan Public LibraryinNew York City.

摘自:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin_Concerto_No.1(Bruch)