The Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53 ( B. 96 / B. 108), is a

violin concerto A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble (customarily orchestra). Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up thro ...

composed by

Antonín Dvořák Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8September 18411May 1904) was a Czech composer. He frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia, following the Romantic-era nationalist example of his predec ...

in 1879. It was premiered in Prague on 14 October 1883.

History

Dvořák was encouraged to write a violin concerto by his publisher Simrock, after compositions such as Slavonic Dances and his Symphony No. 6 had been successful. The composer sought advice from the violinist

Joseph Joachim Joseph Joachim (28 June 1831 – 15 August 1907) was a Hungarian Violin, violinist, Conducting, conductor, composer and teacher who made an international career, based in Hanover and Berlin. A close collaborator of Johannes Brahms, he is widely ...

, the director of the Musikhochschule Berlin, who had played his chamber music in concerts, including the world premiere of his String Sextet in A major. Dvořák composed the work with the intention of dedicating it to him, and hoped for a premiere played by Joachim. Dvořák composed a first sketch in July 1879 that already contained the

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s of the final version. He took it to Berlin at the end of the month where Joachim had staged a gala evening in his honour. Joachim recommended formal changes which Dvořák made over the following two months. In November he mailed the work to Joachim with a dedication on the title page: "I dedicate this work to the great Maestro Jos. Joachim, with the deepest respect, Ant. Dvořák." He requested Joachim's opinion, and the violinist replied that he was busy but would look into it as soon as possible. No written reply from Joachim has survived, but Dvořák visited Joachim in Berlin in the spring of 1880. After the consultation, the composer rewrote the concerto between April and May. Joachim, a strict classicist, may have objected to the abrupt truncation of the first movement's orchestral tutti, the short recapitulation, and the persistent repetition found in the third movement. Dvořák sent the new version to Joachim for inspection, but had to wait more than two years for an answer. The violin concerto was premiered in Prague on 14 October 1883.Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 53, B108
antonin-dvorak.cz by František Ondříček, who also gave the Vienna and London premieres. The concerto was first performed in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

on 30 October 1891, at the

Auditorium Theatre The Auditorium Theatre is a music and performance venue located in the Auditorium Building at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive in Chicago, Illinois. Inspired by the Richardsonian Romanesque Style of architect Henry Hobson Richardson, the building was d ...

in Chicago. Max Bendix was soloist with the Chicago Orchestra led by Theodore Thomas. The concerto remains an important work in the violin repertoire.

Instrumentation

The concerto is scored for solo violin and an orchestra consisting of 2

flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

s, 2

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double-reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common type of oboe, the soprano oboe pitched in C, ...

s, 2

clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...

s (in A), 2

bassoon The bassoon is a musical instrument in the woodwind 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 virtuosity ...

s, 4

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, 2

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

timpani Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion instrument, percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a Membranophone, membrane called a drumhead, ...

, and strings.

Structure

The structure of the concerto is the classical three movements, fast–slow–fast. The first movement and the second movement are interconnected (''attacca subito'').

Selected recordings

Augustin Hadelich Augustin Hadelich (born April 4, 1984) is an Italian-German-American Grammy-winning classical violinist. Early life and education Augustin Hadelich was born in Cecina, Italy, to German parents. His two older brothers were already playing cello ...

: ''Bohemian Tales'' – with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, conducted by

Jakub Hrůša Jakub Hrůša (born 23 July 1981 in Brno) is a Czech conductor. He is chief conductor of the Bamberg Symphony. Education Hrůša is the son of the architect . There were no professional musicians in his family who were drawn mainly from technica ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Violin Concerto (Dvorak) Concertos by Antonín Dvořák Dvorak 1879 compositions Compositions in A minor Joseph Joachim