Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
London Symphony Orchestra
Johannes Brahms
Béla Bartók
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Compositional Technique
Bartók's First Violin Concerto was originally planned in three movements to portray three facets of Steffi Geyer's personality: 'heavenly', 'humorous', and 'indifferent, cool and silent', though only the first two were completed.
Composition History
Brahms initially drafted his Violin Concerto with four movements but discarded the two central movements, replacing them with what he called 'a feeble Adagio'; the discarded scherzo later found a place in his Second Piano Concerto.
Album & Artwork
This album is the first known recording to pair Brahms's Violin Concerto and Bartók's First Violin Concerto, which Janine Jansen considers a natural pairing due to their shared Hungarian connection and blend of symphonic power and chamber intimacy.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Brahms tailored his Violin Concerto to Joseph Joachim's natural proclivities as a performer and composer, focusing on the violin's middle register, avoiding showy virtuosity, and integrating solo and orchestral parts seamlessly.
Composition History
Johannes Brahms's Violin Concerto was the musical culmination of his long-term friendship with violin virtuoso and composer Joseph Joachim.
Composition History
Béla Bartók's First Violin Concerto was born out of his passionate love for the young Hungarian violinist Steffi Geyer in 1907, though his love went unrequited.
Compositional Technique
Joseph Joachim, a violin virtuoso and composer, played a vital role in the creation of Brahms's Violin Concerto, advising on solo figurations and influencing challenging left-hand stretches due to his exceptionally large hands.
