Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 47

Jean Sibelius

Jean Sibelius is indisputably the greatest composer Finland has ever produced. He was born on Dec. 8, 1865, in Hämeenlinna (Tavastehus) and died in Järvenpää on Sept. 20, 1957. His abiding interest in his homeland’s literature (especially the national epic known as the Kalevala) and natural landscape placed him in the vanguard of Finnish nationalism, although few traces of actual folk tunes are to be found in his music. Best known for his patriotic symphonic poem, Finlandia, Sibelius’ genius is revealed most clearly in his Violin Concerto and seven symphonies. His Violin Concerto was composed between 1903 and 1904, then revised in 1905. Although intended for a Berlin premiere with Willy Burmeister as soloist, the original version of the Violin Concerto received its first performance on Feb. 8, 1904, with Sibelius conducting and Victor Nováček, a violin teacher at the Helsinki Conservatory as soloist. For various reasons, not the least of which was Sibelius’ alcoholism, the premiere was a disaster. The revised version premiered in Berlin on Oct. 19, 1905, with Karel Haliř as soloist and Richard Strauss conducting. The work is scored for solo violin, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings.

Composed between 1903 and 1904, but much revised in 1905, Sibelius’ Violin Concerto ranks as one of the greatest masterpieces of its kind, comparing favorably to those towering exemplars composed by Beethoven, Brahms and Mendelssohn. The strong influence of the last composer mentioned may be seen most clearly in Sibelius’s first movement. Both works dispense with the traditional orchestral exposition and introduce the solo violin right away, in each case over a soft, rippling figuration in the strings. A further similarity lies in the placement of the solo cadenza immediately before the recapitulation, instead of at the end of the movement. Despite these structural similarities, the two works are completely different in temperament. Whereas Mendelssohn is typically lyrical, Sibelius is brooding, with his characteristic craggy orchestrations that favored cellos, basses and bassoons to form the canvas upon which the solo violin paints its dramatic narrative. Another strong identifying characteristic is the way in which his themes emerge and grow, as it were, from the middle of each measure.

The powerful first movement is followed by a more lyrical and luxurious Adagio di molto. It begins with an unsettled figure in the woodwinds that will take on a more dramatic cast as the movement progresses. The violin solo then presents a broad and expansive melody. The passionate central section calls upon the violinist to play sophisticated cross-rhythms in double stops — another technique used by Mendelssohn in his own Violin Concerto.

The tempo indication of “allegro, ma non tanto (lively, but not too much so)” for the rondo finale needs to be taken at face value if the soloist hopes to finish the piece intact! The technical challenges for both the left hand and bow arm, which the violin soloist must master, are quite formidable and come in rapid fire. The opening theme has been described by Donald Francis Tovey as a “polonaise for polar bears.” But I can’t recall ever seeing these animals move at the speed at which Sibelius demands from his soloist. For all its fireworks, sheer technical dexterity is never evoked here for its own sake or for mere display. Passion also abides in this movement, as well as much evocative lyricism.

Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany, on Dec. 15 or 16, 1770 (the date of his baptism was Dec. 17), and died in Vienna on March 26, 1827. One of the pivotal figures in the history of Western music, his nine symphonies, five piano concertos, Violin Concerto, and several overtures remain at the heart of the symphonic repertory. The Symphony No. 8 received its first performance under Beethoven’s direction on Feb. 27, 1814, in the Grosse Redoutensaal of Vienna’s Imperial Residence. This historic venue still exists. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.

Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony was completed in the latter part of 1812 and received its first performance under Beethoven’s own supervision on February 27, 1814, in Vienna. Despite its negative early reception, Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony is one of the master’s more congenial creations, easily approachable by all. If Beethoven had ever intended to compose a “musical joke,” to borrow from Mozart’s comedic sextet, this symphony would fit the bill. Beethoven himself called it his “little symphony in F,” although this was to avoid confusion with the “Pastoral Symphony (No. 6)”, also in F Major. Still, Beethoven was hurt by the rather negative criticism with which this symphony was received, especially since he considered it superior to the mighty Seventh Symphony composed in the same year. An interesting feature of both the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies is their lack of a true slow movement (the Seventh has an Allegretto; i.e., a tempo slightly slower than allegro; while the Eighth has one marked Allegretto scherzando).

As in everything that he did, Beethoven took his humor seriously. One of the reasons why the Eighth Symphony disappointed the critics was that it seemed to be a throwback to an earlier style, even so far as to include a Minuet as its third movement instead of a Beethovenian Scherzo. By the time the Eighth Symphony had its first performance in 1814 (it was composed in 1812), nobody expected Beethoven to write such a seemingly inconsequential work. Ironically, this apparent return to the style of Haydn and Mozart was precisely what many of these same critics wanted. Only Beethoven seemed to realize that the Eighth Symphony is a work of “classical” proportions (i.e., length), containing not the slightest hint of nostalgia for the 18th century. It comes, in fact, rather closer to a parody of the same. The Minuet, for example, with its heavy accents, misplaced rhythms, and heaviness, pokes good-humored fun at the classical model. The finale, too, can only be described as a raucous, even obstreperous, musical joke with its rude interruptions of the unexpected C Sharp (completely out of context in F Major). Audiences should also take note of the humorous use of the kettledrums, tuned here in octaves, rather than the common tonic-dominant pitches (F and C).

Even Beethoven’s most popular rival for Viennese attention failed to escape his humor. The Allegretto scherzando may be viewed as a parody of the style of Gioacchino Rossini’s opera buffas, or comic operas focused on contemporary themes, which were all the rage throughout Vienna. 

Another interesting sidelight surrounds this charming second movement. One of Beethoven’s acquaintances was Ludwig Maelzel, the inventor of the modern metronome. Beethoven’s “Battle Symphony” (Wellington’s Victory, also known as the Battle of Vittoria) had been composed for a mechanical instrument, the panharmonicon, designed by Maelzel. The composer allegedly composed a canon (WoO 162, “Ta ta ta ... Lieber Maelzel”) for the inventor that contains the same mechanistic “ticking” and tune used in the Allegretto scherzando of the Eighth Symphony. In this way, the second movement could be heard as a musical double entendre. The only problem with this interpretation, however, is that research has shown that the canon was not by Beethoven, but was a forgery perpetrated by Beethoven’s secretary, Anton Schindler. One could say historical truth has enjoyed the last laugh!