Violin Concerto No. 1 (Bartók)
Encyclopedia
Béla Bartók
's Violin Concerto No. 1, BB 48a was written around the years 1907–1908, but only published in 1956, after the composer's death. It was premiered on May 30, 1958 in Basel
, Switzerland
. It strays from the path of the traditional concerto, having two rather than three movements
:
Bartók had planned a third movement, but never wrote it.
Bartók used the Andante as the first of the Two Portraits, op.
5, representing Stefi Geyer
.
The concerto was dedicated, as was Othmar Schoeck
's concerto for the same instrument, to the violinist Stefi Geyer
, with whom Bartók was in love. Geyer could not reciprocate Bartók's feelings and rejected the concerto. Both kept copies locked in a drawer. It was revived after both Bartók and Geyer had died. Geyer's copy of the manuscript was bequeathed to Paul Sacher
to be performed by him and Hans-Heinz Schneeberger. The concerto was later championed by David Oistrakh
. Acclaimed recordings include Oistrakh with Gennady Rozhdestvensky
conducting for opulent romanticism, Maxim Vengerov
for virtuosic fire, and György Pauk
for authenticity. For many years, Isaac Stern
with Leonard Bernstein
conducting was the classic recording.
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
's Violin Concerto No. 1, BB 48a was written around the years 1907–1908, but only published in 1956, after the composer's death. It was premiered on May 30, 1958 in Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It strays from the path of the traditional concerto, having two rather than three movements
Movement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
:
- Andante sostenuto
- Allegro giocoso
Bartók had planned a third movement, but never wrote it.
Bartók used the Andante as the first of the Two Portraits, op.
Opus number
An Opus number , pl. opera and opuses, abbreviated, sing. Op. and pl. Opp. refers to a number generally assigned by composers to an individual composition or set of compositions on publication, to help identify their works...
5, representing Stefi Geyer
Stefi Geyer
Stefi Geyer was a Hungarian violinist.She was the daughter of Josef Geyer, a police doctor who played the violin himself. When she was 3 years old she started playing the violin, with remarkable results for someone who had not practiced at all...
.
The concerto was dedicated, as was Othmar Schoeck
Othmar Schoeck
Othmar Schoeck was a Swiss composer and conductor.He was known mainly for his considerable output of art songs and song cycles, though he also wrote a number of operas and instrumental compositions including two string quartets and...
's concerto for the same instrument, to the violinist Stefi Geyer
Stefi Geyer
Stefi Geyer was a Hungarian violinist.She was the daughter of Josef Geyer, a police doctor who played the violin himself. When she was 3 years old she started playing the violin, with remarkable results for someone who had not practiced at all...
, with whom Bartók was in love. Geyer could not reciprocate Bartók's feelings and rejected the concerto. Both kept copies locked in a drawer. It was revived after both Bartók and Geyer had died. Geyer's copy of the manuscript was bequeathed to Paul Sacher
Paul Sacher
Paul Sacher was a Swiss conductor, patron and impresario.-Biography:He studied under Felix Weingartner, among others. In 1926 he founded the Basel Chamber Orchestra to play works written before the classical period and modern works...
to be performed by him and Hans-Heinz Schneeberger. The concerto was later championed by David Oistrakh
David Oistrakh
David Fyodorovich Oistrakh , , David Fiodorović Ojstrakh, ; – October 24, 1974, was a Soviet violinist....
. Acclaimed recordings include Oistrakh with Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Gennady Nikolayevich Rozhdestvensky is a Russian conductor.-Biography:Rozhdestvensky was born in Moscow. His parents were the noted conductor and pedagogue Nikolai Anosov and soprano Natalya Rozhdestvenskaya...
conducting for opulent romanticism, Maxim Vengerov
Maxim Vengerov
Maxim Alexandrovich Vengerov is a violinist, violist, and conductor who was born in the Soviet Union.-Youth:Born on 20 August 1974 in Novosibirsk, Russia, to a family with musical tradition....
for virtuosic fire, and György Pauk
György Pauk
-Biography:Born in Budapest, Hungary, Pauk entered the Franz Liszt Academy of Music there at age twelve where he studied under Zoltán Kodály. In 1956 he left Hungary for the Netherlands and, after being persuaded by violinist Yehudi Menuhin, he permanently settled in London in 1961.Since then he...
for authenticity. For many years, Isaac Stern
Isaac Stern
Isaac Stern was a Ukrainian-born violinist. He was renowned for his recordings and for discovering new musical talent.-Biography:Isaac Stern was born into a Jewish family in Kremenets, Ukraine. He was fourteen months old when his family moved to San Francisco...
with Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
conducting was the classic recording.