Violin Concerto - Brahms (1833-1897)

Brahms’ Concerto for Violin and Orchestra stems from the golden harvest years of his life which included the symphonies, violin sonatas and great chamber music. As ever with Brahms, he had doubts about the value of his composition but gained invaluable advice from his lifelong friend, the distinguished violinist Joseph Joachim. It was perhaps for Joachim that Brahms included a spot towards the end of the first movement for the out-dated solo cadenza – the only time in all four of his concertos. The work starts traditionally with a full-blown statement of the first movement’s musical ideas before the flamboyant entry of the soloist. The music is easy enough to take in and tightly constructed with a satisfying exchange of thematic ideas between the soloist and the orchestra. The slow movement starts with the most endearing passage for the wind section of the orchestra. Led by the first oboe this is a serenade reminiscent of the best examples from Mozart’s piano concertos. Finally the soloist is allowed to enter to ruminate on the opening expressiveness yet without directly quoting its two themes. The virtuosic finale is full of high spirits with more than a hint of Brahms’ “Hungarian” mode.

Now the following is perhaps “off-topic” but the on-line translation of a review of Tasmin Little’s performance of the Brahms Concerto at the Aix-en-Provence Festival is so rib-tickling that I could not help its inclusion. “The introduction of Brahms, sensitive, tender, linear, one feels that one will not have business with the one of these concertos moulded with the ladle. Confirmation of the violon : delicacy of the bow, science of its thread, one phrased expressive in the tension, never in the pressure. One heard certainly more incisive rates/rhythms pointed in the second topic, of the double cords plus virtuosos and framed, of the more ventral cords of ground, but this wire extatic fragile and tended to break moves singularly. It should be said that rather dry acoustics of the place gives to the orchestra a quasi graphic sonority, the flexible grace of the violin appears more touching about it still, which composes human Brahms of " l' condition " - the vault of heaven and its obscure veil, the wind in the high branches, adding their polyphonic decoration.

After the first two movements taken in only one and even concentration, Allegro giocoso final limpid and merry, even facetious (trilles, corrosive, spiccato), far from any dionysiaque howling. Would the listeners have preferred a bow which opera hat of the heel (whereas they claquaient teeth), a violin which pours some strong liquor in their turned blue veins, or did not have the heart to point out Tasmin Little for the test of a bis ? It will never be known, the applause remained, a little like the cold words of Rabelais, captive of the cold air.”

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