Leonard Bernstein is considered by the performers to be a natural musical companion to John Williams due to his similarly wide and varied audience reach.
Composition History
John Williams' Violin Concerto No. 1 was not commissioned or written for a specific soloist, but rather came from a genuine 'inner impulse' and was completed as a memorial to his late wife, Barbara Ruick.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded at Powell Hall in St. Louis, MO, with the Bernstein tracks recorded in January 2023 and the Williams tracks in November 2019.
Composition History
Leonard Bernstein's Serenade for solo violin with strings and percussion was written in 1954 after he re-read Plato's Symposium, a philosophical dialogue about the nature of love.
Composer's Artistic Vision
John Williams' music is noted for its breadth of compositional output and its ability to transcend boundaries of genre and audience.
Performer Biography
Conductor Stéphane Denève discovered John Williams' music at age 10 after seeing the movie E.T.
Performer Biography
Violinist James Ehnes was introduced to John Williams' Violin Concerto by conductor Stéphane Denève about a decade ago.
