Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22, by the
Polish violin virtuoso
A virtuoso (from Italian ''virtuoso'' or , "virtuous", Late Latin ''virtuosus'', Latin ''virtus'', "virtue", "excellence" or "skill") is an individual who possesses outstanding talent and technical ability in a particular art or field such as ...
,
Henryk Wieniawski
Henryk Wieniawski (; 10 July 183531 March 1880) was a Polish virtuoso violinist, composer and pedagogue who is regarded amongst the greatest violinists in history. His younger brother Józef Wieniawski and nephew Adam Tadeusz Wieniawski were al ...
, may have been started in 1856, but the first performance did not take place until November 27, 1862, when he played it in
St. Petersburg with
Anton Rubinstein conducting. It was published in 1879, inscribed ''to his dear friend
Pablo de Sarasate
Pablo Martín Melitón de Sarasate y Navascués (; 10 March 1844 – 20 September 1908), commonly known as Pablo de Sarasate, was a Spanish (Navarrese) violin virtuoso, composer and conductor of the Romantic period. His best known works include ...
''.
Written during the relatively stable period of Wieniawski's residence in St Petersburg, the second Violin Concerto in D minor, op.22 is generally considered as his finest work. Richly melodic and highly idiomatic the work balances the elements of style dispassionately and serenely. Wieniawski first played the work in St Petersburg on 27 November 1862 under the baton of Anton Rubinstein.
The second violin concerto remains one of the most popular violin concertos of the Romantic era, memorable for its lush and moving melodies and harmonies.
Structure
The work is in three
movements:
Instrumentation
The concerto is scored for solo
violin and an orchestra consisting of 2
flute
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
s, 2
oboes, 2
clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound.
Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...
s, 2
bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...
s, 2
horns, 2
trumpets, 3
trombones (alto, tenor and bass),
timpani, and
strings.
References
* Golding, Robin (1991). ''Wieniawski: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2, Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen''. Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Hamburg, pp. 1-2.
External links
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Wieniawski 02
Compositions by Henryk Wieniawski
1862 compositions