The first movement of Schumann's Violin Concerto features the solo violin remaining silent for 53 bars, a departure from the norm of romantic solo concertos around 1850.
Historical Context
The Nazi regime showed interest in Schumann's Violin Concerto to fill a gap in the German repertoire after banning the Mendelssohn concerto, and it was performed in 1937 as a symbol of German cultural hegemony.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Schumann, as interpreted by composer Heinz Holliger, was not interested in linear musical forms, but rather in 'spiraling movements' that grow from a single 'ur-motif'.
Composition History
Schumann's Violin Concerto had to wait 84 years for its premiere, due to initial positive but later negative views from Clara Schumann and Joseph Joachim, who feared for Schumann's legacy after his death.
Historical Context
The manuscript of Schumann's Violin Concerto was withheld by Joseph Joachim's son until 1907, with instructions that it should not be performed until 100 years after Schumann's death.
Performer Biography
Kolja Blacher, the violinist on this album, plays the 'Tritton' Stradivari violin from 1730, which is on loan to him from Ms. Kimiko Powers.
Notable Performances
The premiere of Schumann's Violin Concerto was offered to Yehudi Menuhin, a 20-year-old American violinist, after two of Joseph Joachim's grand-nieces claimed Schumann's spirit tasked them to find and publicize the concerto.
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