Accompanied by the Berliner Philharmoniker (Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra), the American classical violinist Hilary Hahn performs Dmitri Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77. Conductor: Mariss Jansons.
Encores: Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 77: IV. Burlesca by Dmitri Kogan and the 4th movement (presto) of Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor, BWV 1001 by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Programme
With the starting times in the video:
- 00:40 Nocturne: Moderato
- 13:29 Scherzo: Allegro non troppo
- 19:36 Passacaglia: Andante
- 28:58 Cadenza
- 34:07 IV. Burlesca: Allegro con brio
- 40:50 Bach, JS: Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Minor, BWV 1001: IV. Presto
Dmitri Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1
The piece was written in 1947-48 for renowned Soviet violinist David Oistrakh, and Shostakovich initially played the work for the violinist in 1948.
In the intervening years, the concerto was edited by Shostakovich and Oistrakh. Oistrakh gave the premiere of the concerto on 29 October 1955 with the Leningrad Philharmonic with the Soviet-Russian conductor Yevgeny Mravinsky (4 June [O.S. 22 May] 1903 – 19 January 1988) conducting. It was well received in Russia and abroad as an “extraordinary success”.
The concerto has four movements, with a cadenza linking the final two:
- Nocturne: Moderato – A semi-homage to the first movement of Elgar’s Cello Concerto.
- Scherzo: Allegro – Demonic dance. The DSCH motif can be heard in the background at times, with a final appearance near the end in the solo violin part.
- Passacaglia: Andante – Cadenza (attacca) – Utilizes Beethoven’s fate motif, incorporating it into the pre-burlesque cadenza. The DSCH motif is incorporated into a set of chords in the cadenza.
- Burlesque: Allegro con brio – Presto – The theme in the solo violin’s entrance resembles that of the solo flute’s entrance in Stravinsky’s Petrouchka.
Sources
- Violin Concerto No. 1 (Shostakovich) on Wikipedia
- Pavarotti sings Pourquoi me réveiller [Massenet] at the Central Park in 1993 - April 23, 2024
- Elgar: Serenade for Strings [Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra] - April 19, 2024
- Mozart: Serenade No. 10 “Gran Partita” [MET Orchestra Chamber Ensemble] - April 18, 2024
