Samuel Barber, an American composer, found and adhered to a lyrical, tonal musical style, believing it took as much courage as radicalism in the 20th century.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in November 2020 at Victoria Hall, Geneva, with Martin Sauer as Recording Producer and Julian Schwenkner as Recording Engineer.
Notable Performances
The final movement of Barber's Violin Concerto was initially deemed 'unplayable' by the intended soloist, Isaak Briselli, but a student, Herbert Baumel, proved him wrong in a private performance.
Composition History
Barber's Violin Concerto was commissioned by Samuel Fels, owner of the Fels-Naptha soap company, for his adopted son Isaak Briselli, a fellow student at the Curtis Institute of Music.
Composition History
Sibelius's unfulfilled dream of a solo career psychologically haunted him but also fueled the creation of his Violin Concerto as a surrogate for his lost ambition.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Jean Sibelius, working in Finland with limited music education and orchestral infrastructure, was able to reinvent orchestral music along distinctly Nordic lines.
Composer Biography
Sibelius initially dreamed of becoming a renowned violin soloist, but his lack of coordination, élan, and temperament, compounded by alcoholism, prevented this.
