Stravinsky had two self-doubts that delayed the creation of his violin concerto. The first was his wariness of virtuosos in general; he was never sure whether their intentions were to genuinely become a champion of his music, or if they just wanted to use his name as a vehicle to propel their careers. The second was his uncertainty that he can compose something for the violin that is both brilliant and practical, having never played or understood the fundamental limitations of the instrument. However, Stravinsky should have known the latter would be a non-issue, for countless non-violinist composers (Brahms, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, etc.) have composed concertos that are the cornerstones of the solo violin repertoire. Famous violist Paul Hindemith even advised Stravinsky that he was better off approaching the instrument as a foreigner so that Stravinsky would not fall victim to hackneyed, clichéd figurations that violinistic composers use. Stravinsky was persuaded eventually and met Samuel Dushkin, the virtuoso violinist who Stravinsky would collaborate with to compose his violin concerto. From this meeting, a beautiful friendship was formed and Stravsinky would end up composing for Dushkin the Duo Concertante, Divertimento, and Suite Italienne.
Describing his collaboration with Stravinsky, Dushkin wrote that his "function was to advise Stravinsky how his ideas could be best be adapted to the exigencies of the violin as a concert display instrument." [1] Dushkin further recalled that during lunch one day in Paris, Stravinsky "took out a piece of paper and wrote down [a] chord and asked me if it could be played. I have never seen a chord with such an enormous stretch...and I said "No." Stravinsky said sadly, "Quel dommage." After I got home, I tried it, and, to my astonishment, I found that in that register, the [chord] was relatively easy to play, and the sound fascinated me. I telephoned Stravinsky at one to tell him that it could be done. When the concerto was finished, more than six months later, I understood his disappointment when I first said "No." This chord, in a different dress, begins each of the four movements. Stravsinky himself calls it his "passport" to the concerto." [2]
And that chord is this eye-popping looking thing.
It's no surprise why Dushkin's knee-jerk reaction was to tell Stravinsky it's impossible; with an eleventh stacked on a ninth, that chord is intimidating just to look at.
The solo violinist is more of a duet partner to the orchestra for most of the concerto. Even though the number of forces in the orchestral is large, the accompaniment sounds more like a large chamber orchestra. Furthermore, as much as the solo violin part relies on Dushkin's suggestions, the orchestral music is undeniably Stravinsky. The passport chord opens the piece in the march-like Toccata. The two inner movements, creatively titled Aria I and Aria II, serves as an intermezzo and slow movement of the concerto. Aria II, reminiscent of one of Bach's slow movements from his violin concertos, is particularly affecting and tenderly beautiful. The last movement, Capriccio, is full of wit and humor. He isolates members of the orchestras to duet with the soloist head on, including the bassoonist and trombonist. In a funnier episode, the concertmaster challenges the soloist to a match of dexterity and agility. The two end abruptly in unison, as if to say "Well played sir", and the soloist continues to finish the concerto.
In terms of recordings, you can't go wrong with Dushkin and Stravinsky's
recording. What could be better than the composer and violinist whom the piece was composed for immortalize their interpretation for posterity? While the recording quality is quite poor, it is still fascinating to hear how Dushkin and Stravinsky conceived the overall architecture of the piece. Another recording with Stravinsky on the podium was one with Isaac Stern
soloing. In both these recordings, the music sounds new; the orchestra seems to be struggling to play the off-metered rhythms correctly, which detracts a little from the musicality. Nonetheless, if you are learning this concerto, both recordings are indispensable.
While I'm usually not a fan of Anne-Sophie Mutter's playing, her reading here is extremely stylish. Her effusive vibrato, for once, is well-served in the giant chords, giving them character and rounding out the sound. Another recording I was surprised to find myself enjoying is that of Maxim Vengerov's
. While his tempo choices are slower than most of his contemporaries, his tone is massive and his attacks carry incredible bite.
JEFF RECOMMENDS
Hilary Hahn's style of playing is perfectly suited for this neoclassical composition. Out of her generation of violinists, she is probably the one who plays with the most reserve, rarely willing to sacrifice a decrease in technique or cleanliness for emotional abandon. She is an absolute machine when the music becomes fast (e.g. 2nd movement of Shostakovich Violin Concerto, 3rd movement of Barber Violin Concerto) and her technique serves her well here. The lines are clean and the harmonic structure comes through the music easily. The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, under the direction of Sir Neville Marriner, provide Hahn with incredible support; the trickier rhythms are pedestrian in their hands and the soloists in the orchestra are infectiously fun to listen to in the work's final movement. The acoustic quality is lively and robust, adding sparkle to the already effervescent work. Usually, I don't agree with who wins the Grammy's for classical music, but I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically agree with this album's Grammy win.----------
[1][2] Samuel Dushkin, Working With Stravinsky, in Igor Stravinsky, ed. Edwin Corle (New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1949).
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