Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2

Featuring

André Previn
Itzhak Perlman
London Symphony Chorus
Béla Bartók

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Compositional Technique

Bartók originally conceived the Violin Concerto No. 2 as a single-movement work in theme and variations form but acceded to the soloist's request for a conventional three-movement concerto, retaining the theme-and-variations idea in the central movement.

Historical Context

Bartók, fiercely opposed to the Nazi regime, was unable to attend the premiere of his Violin Concerto No. 2 in 1939 and only heard it performed in New York in 1943 by Tossy Spivakovsky.

Notable Performances

The premiere of Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 2 took place on March 23, 1939, in Amsterdam, performed by its dedicatee Zoltán Székely and the Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Willem Mengelberg.

Composition History

Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 2 was commissioned in 1937 by his friend Zoltán Székely, who became the leader of the celebrated Hungarian Quartet that same year.

Composition History

The Violin Concerto No. 2 had a long gestation period of sixteen months for Bartók and underwent several revisions, particularly to the finale, at the request of the soloist.

Recording & Production

This recording of Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 2 by Itzhak Perlman and the London Symphony Orchestra with André Previn was made on October 10, 1973, at Kingsway Hall, London.