Shostakovich dedicated both Violin Concertos to David Oistrakh, a violinist whose playing inspired him and with whom he enjoyed playing chamber music.
Compositional Technique
In the Scherzo of his Violin Concerto No. 1, Shostakovich included his musical signature D-S-C-H, which stands for D, E-flat, C, B-natural in German musical notation.
Compositional Technique
The Violin Concerto No. 2 incorporates musical quotes alluding to Shostakovich's career, including a theme from his work The Execution of Stepan Razin and a street vendor's jingle from his opera The Nose.
Compositional Technique
Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 2 uses a smaller orchestra than his first, omitting the tuba, xylophone, celesta, and harp, and features solo violin cadenzas in all three movements.
Historical Context
The premiere of Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1 was delayed until 1955 due to a decree from the Central Committee of the Communist Party, which branded him a formalist and enemy of the people.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Shostakovich felt deep sympathy for persecuted Jewish artists and incorporated elements of Jewish folk music into his Violin Concerto No. 1.
Composition History
Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1 was written between 1947 and 1948, a difficult period when anti-Semitism was gaining ground in the Soviet Union.
You might also enjoy...
Bartók: Violin Concerto No.2, Sz 112 / Moret: En rêve
John Adams: Violin Concerto
Chin: Violin Concerto No. 1
Barber: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 14
Guy Braunstein: Abbey Road Concerto (EP)
Rochberg: Violin Concerto
Khachaturian: Violin Concerto & Concerto Rhapsody
Ades: Violin Concerto
American Classics: William Schuman
John Williams: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
Shapira: Concierto Latino
Bartók: Violin Concertos Nos 1 & 2
Khachaturian, A.I.: Violin Concerto / Concerto-Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra
