Beethoven’s one and only violin concerto was completely unprecedented at the time of its composition, with a range that had never been attempted before in a similar piece of music. The first movement in particular, which was rich in themes, was particularly unusual. At the 2023 Beethovenfest Bonn, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra played the Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 under the direction of conductor and violinist Pekka Kuusisto.
00:00 I. Allegro ma non troppo
22:17 II. Larghetto
30:17 III. Rondo. Allegro
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) dedicated this violin concerto to Franz Clement, a violin virtuoso who allegedly sight-read the piece without any preparation during its premiere on December 23, 1806 at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna. It was not a successful debut and critics panned the composition, describing it as disjointed, with tedious motifs. They also claimed that the sequences at the highest register were too difficult for the soloist to play in a refined and precise manner. As a result the piece was barely performed in the years that followed. But it finally had its breakthrough moment in 1844 when thirteen-year-old violinist Joseph Joachim played it under the direction of Felix Mendelssohn in London. Since then, the Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 has enjoyed a solid place in concert repertoire.
The extended opening movement (in Allegro ma non troppo) begins with a rich tutti exposition and a striking timpani motif. From there, it manifests itself repeatedly, almost subliminally. There are also half a dozen opposing thematic structures that function as a musical motor-striding, darting, and leaping through all the instrumental groups and registers in classic Beethoven style, at times lending an explosive quality to the music. The second movement (Larghetto) uses a devoutly lyrical style to attempt to create a mild counterbalance to the opening movement, leading to a cheerful and lively finale (Rondo).
© 2023 Deutsche Welle
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