Concerto in D for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 61
Premiere: December 23, 1806
For solo violin with 1 flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani and strings
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Allegro ma non troppo
Larghetto
Rondo
Program Notes by Martin Pearlman
Beethoven composed his violin concerto during a period in his life which saw the creation of a long list of masterworks, each of them having a highly individual character. In 1806 alone, in addition to his violin concerto, he produced his Fourth Symphony, the three Razumovsky quartets, the "Appassionata" Sonata, and most of his Fourth Piano Concerto.
The commission for the violin concerto came from the virtuoso violinist Franz Clement, who received the finished score from Beethoven only shortly before the premiere, giving him a mere two days in which to learn the difficult solo part. The premiere took place on December 23, 1806, in a program which is also noteworthy for including a solo violin piece by Clement himself, in which he played the violin upside-down.
Initially, the concerto was considered not only extremely difficult for the soloist but also difficult for the listener, and it did not immediately become a standard part of the repertoire. It was ultimately Joseph Joachim, for whom Brahms later wrote his violin concerto, who established Beethoven's work in the repertoire and made it a favorite with audiences. His notable performance of the concerto in London in 1844, when he was only 13 years old, is often considered the beginning of its true popularity.
At the request of the pianist and publisher Muzio Clementi, Beethoven transcribed his violin concerto for piano and orchestra, and both the violin and piano versions were published in 1808. For the original violin version, Beethoven followed tradition in providing no cadenzas but leaving them to the performer to improvise or compose. For the piano version, however, he wrote a lengthy cadenza for the first movement, in which the timpani momentarily joins the piano. Today the most commonly heard cadenza for the violin concerto is the one written for the first movement by Joseph Joachim.
Boston Baroque Performances
Concerto in D for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 61
May 4 & 5, 2001
NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
Martin Pearlman, conductor
Soloist:
Stephanie Chase, violin
April 8, 1988
NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
Martin Pearlman, conductor
Soloist:
Daniel Stepner, violin