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Johannes Brahms
Violin Concerto in D, op. 77
Brahms, like his predecessor Beethoven, wrote only one violin concerto, also
in the key of D major. Described once by the distinguished Viennese
musician Joseph Hellmesberger, as ³Beethovenıs heir², Brahms himself
declared that ³To follow in Beethovenıs footsteps transcends oneıs
strength.² Although it is indeed safe to say that Brahmsı concerto would not
have existed without Beethovenıs example, the story of its influences is far
more intricate.
The name of Eduard Reményi invariably surfaces during a discussion of
Brahmsı violin concerto. A part-German, part-Hungarian violinist who was
once soloist to Queen Victoria, Reményi rescued a young Brahms from
piano-playing in taverns by engaging him as his accompanist on a tour
throughout Germany in 1853. Although their partnership was brief, the
collaboration proved
significant: Brahms was introduced to the Hungarian and gypsy folk music
that Reményi played so well, eventually leading to a whole category of
Brahmsı music where the Hungarian idiom dominated. It was also through
Reményi that Brahms met those who would prove to be of paramount importance
in his life and work, Robert and Clara Schumann, and the great violinist
Joseph Joachim.
Twenty-five years later, in 1878, an established, forty-five year old Brahms
completed his violin
concerto. Brahms composed the piece during a prolific and idyllic summer at
the mountain resort of Portschach on the Worthersee, the largest of the
South Austrian lakes near the Italian border. The concerto is dedicated to
Joachim, who served as a constant consultant during its writing and
contributed the cadenza. He premiered the piece in a concert conducted by
Brahms at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig on New Yearıs Day, 1879.
The concertoıs reception was typically Brahmsian: damned by some, heralded
by others. Andreas Moser, Joachimıs biographer observed ³how easily
accessible Brahms was to Joachimıs counsels about composition, and what a
deaf ear he turned to the otherıs hints on technique.² The unique technical
difficulties daunted the most accomplished violinists of the day. Even
Joachim, the undisputed king
of this group, at first deemed the concerto ³unplayable², but later stated
that ³especially the first movement, pleases me more and more.² It took many
years for the concerto to find its current
place as one of the great masterpieces of violin literature.
Originally planned in four movements, the concerto presents an interesting
relationship between soloist and orchestra. Described as ³a song for the
violin on a symphonic scale², Brahms abandoned the original Scherzo and
revised the Adagio movement. The work opens with an orchestral
introduction of almost one hundred measures where, the listener later
realizes, most of the thematic ideas are introduced. The violinıs
impassioned, almost impatient entrance is a four-octave statement which
leads to the exposition of the principal theme. Lawrence Gilman wrote that
³the caressing and delicate weaving of the solo instrument around the
melodic outlines of the song themes in the orchestra is unforgettable.²
Max Bruch once said that the first theme of the Adagio is based on a
forgotten Bohemian folk song. The endearing, simple melody is stated by the
oboe with a rich woodwind accompaniment, and the solo violin never plays
more than the first three notes of this tune, but rather accompanies it with
lucid and ornamental counterpoint.
The spirited third movement Allegro is a devilishly difficult rondo which
pulsates with Hungarian spirit and abandon. The playful chief theme, stated
in thirds, is announced at once by the solo
violin. What follows is a delightful musical game between the violin and
orchestra which is
eventually concluded by the ensemble. The work clearly embodies the many
facets of Brahms
the composer: the lyrical, emotional, and playful sides balanced by
structured, yet
inventive development.
Camille Saint-Saëns
Violin Concerto no. 3 in B minor, op. 61
If ever the title ³musical Everyman² should be bestowed, it belongs to
Camille Saint-Saëns. One of the most versatile and gifted musicians,
Saint-Saëns was a distinguished pianist, organist, conductor, editor,
scholar and teacher. He possessed perfect pitch, and made it his mission to
become innately acquainted with the nuances of the many instruments of the
orchestra. Beyond the realm of music, Saint-Saëns had a remarkable variety
of interests, such as poetry, writing, astronomy, natural history, and
archaeology.
It is no surprise, then, that the same passion for variety governed
Saint-Saënsı musical writing. His output was vast, and he wrote in a diverse
number of musical genres. Throughout his eclectic style, the influences of
many composers, among them Berlioz, Liszt, Wagner and Verdi, can be heard.
In fact, Saint-Saëns sought to achieve clarity and beauty in his art while
maintaining the essence and lucidity of reason. Critic Philip Hale wrote
that ²[he was] French in clearness of expression, logic; exquisite taste..He
is seldom warm and tender; seldom does he indulge himself in sentiment,
passion, imagination. With him, unorthodox form must always be kept in
mind....² Saint-Saëns
himself once stated, ³Art has a place for artists of all kinds, and no one
should flatter himself that
he alone can cover the entire field..² Saint-Saënıs technique of using
freedom of form while lending the music a philosophical program is greatly
evident in the twenty concertos he wrote for various solo instruments.
The Violin Concerto No. 3 was completed in 1880, and premiered in 1881 by
the great Spanish
violinist Pablo de Sarasate, to whom the piece is dedicated. It was
immediately well-received and remains to this day a popular piece with
audiences. Saint-Saënsı association with Sarasate was
inspirational to the composer. Indeed, the concertoıs colorful passages were
written with Sarasateıs brilliant technique in mind, and its elegant nuances
are undoubtedly the product of the ³inside
information² about the solo violin that Sarasate shared with the composer.
It is said that
contemporaries of Saint-Saëns were afraid to perform the concerto in his
presence as, the
composer himself remarked, ³they were terrified at the idea of being
compared with Sarasate.²
Written in three movements, the Violin Concerto No. 3 opens with the solo
instrumentıs statement of the main theme over strings and kettledrum. The
piece is a study in contrasts: not only between movements, but within the
principal and secondary themes within the same movement. A dolce
and poetic second subject is played and the two themes are developed with
brilliance and
deft craftsmanship.
The gentle second movement is a welcome respite from the fiery passion of
the Allegro non troppo. A beautiful barcarolle, the second movement theme is
a dialogue between the solo instrument and the woodwinds. The movement
concludes with an unexpected cadenza in harmonics and broken chords for the
violin, accompanied by the clarinet. The gossamer, ethereal quality of this
passage sets the stage for the passionate finale which returns to the
original key and recalls the opening statement of the first movement. After
more intricately crafted passage work of transitional material that
introduces the very ³choral² second theme, the concerto ends with a
triumphant coda in B major.
Laura Harth Rodriguez
Elmar Oliveira
Elmar Oliveira has taken his place as one of the
most commanding violinists of our time, with his
unsurpassed combination of impeccable artistry and old-world elegance. Mr.
Oliveira is one of the few major artists committed to the entire spectrum of
the violin world, constantly expanding traditional repertoire boundaries as
a champion of contemporary music and development of the young artists of
tomorrow, and enthusiastically supporting the art of modern violin and bow
makers.
Among his generationıs most honored artists, Elmar Oliveira remains the
first and only American violinist to win the Gold Medal at Moscowıs
Tchaikovsky International Competition. He is also the first violinist to
receive the coveted Avery Fisher Prize, in addition to capturing First
Prizes at the Naumburg International Competition and the G.B. Dealey
Competition.
Mr. Oliveira has become a familiar and much-admired figure at the worldıs
foremost concert venues. His rigorous international itinerary includes
appearances in recital and with many of the worldıs greatest orchestras,
including the Zurich Tonhalle, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Leipzig Gewandhaus
Orchestras; the New York, Helsinki, Los Angeles and London Philharmonic
Orchestras; and the San Francisco, Baltimore, Saint Louis, Boston,
Indianapolis, Oregon, Vancouver, Taiwan and Chicago Symphonies, and the
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He has also extensively toured the Far East,
South America, Australia, New Zealand, and regularly performs at the Mostly
Mozart, Seattle, Grant Park, Blossom, and Chautauqua summer music festivals.
Mr. Oliveiraıs repertoire is among the most diverse of any of todayıs
preeminent artists. While he has been hailed for his performances of the
standard violin
literature, he is also a much sought-after interpreter of the music of our
time. He has premiered works by such distinguished composers as Morton
Gould, Ezra Laderman, Charles Wuorinen, Joan Tower, Krzystof Penderecki,
Andrzej Panufnik, Benjamin Lees, Nicholas Flagello, Leonard Rosenman, Hugh
Aitken, and Richard Yardumian. He has also performed seldom-heard concerti
by Alberto Ginastera, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Joseph Achron, Joseph Joachim,
and many others.
A prodigious recording artist, Elmar Oliveira is a two time Grammy nominee
for his CD of the Barber Concerto with Leonard Slatkin and the Saint Louis
Symphony. His discography on Angel, SONY Masterworks, Artek, Vox, Delos,
IMP, Ondine, and Melodiya ranges widely from works by Bach and Vivaldi to
the present. His best selling new recording of the Rautavaara Violin
Concerto with the Helsinki Philharmonic (Ondine) won a Cannes Classical
Award and has appeared on Gramophoneıs ³Editorıs Choice² and other Best
Recordings lists around the world. Other recent recordings include the
Joachim Concerto ³in the Hungarian Manner² with the London Philharmonic
(IMP) and the Tower Concerto (written for him) with the Louisville Orchestra
(dıNote). Also recently released is the rarely heard Pizzetti and Respighi
sonatas (Artek), the Chausson Concerto for Violin, Piano, and String
Quartet, and the Lekeu Sonata (Biddulph), and soon-to-be-released recordings
include the Brahms and Saint-Saëns B minor Concerti with Gerard Schwarz and
the Seattle Symphony (Artek). Of great historical significance are two
unique projects: a major book and CDs released by Bein & Fushi of Chicago,
featuring Mr. Oliveira
performing on some of the worldıs greatest violins (fifteen Stradivaris and
fifteen Guarneri del Gesus), and a recording of short pieces highlighting
the rare violins from the collection of the Library of Congress.
The son of Portuguese immigrants, Mr. Oliveira was nine when he began
studying the violin with his brother John. He later continued his studies
with Ariana Bronne and Raphael Bronstein at the Hartt College of Music and
the Manhattan School of Music, where Mr. Oliveira also received an honorary
doctorate. He has served on the juries of some of the most prestigious
violin
competitions, including the Montreal, Indianapolis, Naumburg, and Vianna da
Motta. He has appeared on international TV including Good Morning America,
CBS Sunday Morning, the Today Show, and A&Eıs Breakfast with the Arts among
others. The Prime Minister of Portugal recently awarded Mr. Oliveira the
countryıs highest civilian honor - The Order of Santiago. Elmar Oliveira
performs exclusively on an instrument known as the ³Stretton,² made in
1729-30 by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù, and on an exact copy of that violin
made by Curtin and Alf in 1993.
Gerard Schwarz
Gerard Schwarz has been Music Director of the Seattle Symphony since 1985,
of the New York Chamber Symphony since 1976 and of New Yorkıs Mostly Mozart
Festival from 1982. Under his
leadership, he has amassed a vast recording profile of award winning albums
for the Seattle Symphony and has brought them to their new home in Benaroya
Hall in a gala concert on September 12, 1998; his
appearances with Mostly Mozart have continued their prestige as New Yorkıs
favorite summer festival and bought them a large television viewing audience
on the PBS network as well as an international profile with their tours; and
he has brought the New York Chamber Symphony from a fledgling organization
to a full concert season at Lincoln Centerıs Alice Tully Hall. He has
appeared as a guest conductor with the Washington Opera, the San Francisco
Opera, the Kirov Opera and the Seattle Opera as well as, most recently, in
Japan where he was Artistic Advisor to Tokyu Bunkamuraıs Orchard Hall from
1994 to 1997, in conjunction with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.
In the current season Maestro Schwarz will conduct eleven subscription
series concerts in the Seattle Symphonyıs new home, Benaroya Hall, as well
as special concerts with soloists Mstislav Rostropovich and Itzhak Perlman
and five
concerts in the ³Musically Speaking² series. He will present the world
premiere of David Diamondıs A Gala Celebration in the hallıs opening
concert, Bright Shengıs Spring Dreams with soloist Yo-Yo Ma, also in the
first weekıs celebrations, and new works by Francis Thorne, Henri Lazarof,
Hugh Aitken, David Stock and Samuel Jones, as well as music by Prokofiev,
Rachmaninov, Beethoven, R. Strauss and concert performances of Deems
Taylorıs opera Peter Ibbetson and the Verdi Requiem. His many recordings
with the orchestra have been devoted to music of American composers such as
Howard Hanson, Aaron Copland, Charles Griffes, Walter Piston, William
Schuman, Donald Hovhaness, David Diamond, Paul Creston, as well as music of
Stravinsky, Richard Strauss, Bartok, Ravel, Schumann, Shostakovich and
Wagner, among others, and they have earned
accolades and Best Classical Album awards from Stereo Review Magazine, as
well as more than ten Grammy nominations. Their most recent releases have
been an album of music by Sir Andrzej Panufnik and one by Henri Lazarof on
the JVC label, and the Shostakovich Symphony No. 11 on Koch. He has recorded
extensively with other orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the
Czech Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish and English
Chamber Orchestras, Mostly Mozart, New York Chamber Symphony and Los Angeles
Chamber Orchestra.
In the 1998-99 season Mr. Schwarz lead the New York Chamber Symphonyıs
opening concert at Alice Tully Hall on October 24 in a concert featuring the
world premiere of the Three Preludes for Orchestra by Michael Hersch, and he
lead a second world premiere on March 13 of A Little Miracle by David Stock.
He first conducted the Mostly Mozart Festival in 1978, and since serving as
its Music Director from 1984, he has conducted a wide and varied repertoire
with the worldıs most distinguished soloists as guest artists, including
concert
performances of many of Mozartıs rarely heard early operas. He has brought
Mostly Mozart as guests to the Tanglewood and Ravinia Festivals and annual
tours of Japan, this season being their eighth visit there. Live concerts
with the Mostly Mozart Festival have been frequently featured on the PBS
Live from Lincoln Center programs.
During the current season, he will also appear as a guest conductor with
numerous orchestras including, among others, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and
the Royal Liverpool Orchestra, and he will lead performances with the
Seattle Opera of Weberıs Der Freischütz.
Aside from his televised appearances with Mostly Mozart, Gerard Schwarz has
been seen in A Romantic Evening, a Northwest Regional Emmy Award winning
program from KCTS/Seattle, and two broadcasts of his acclaimed educational
concerts entitled Musically Speaking. Under this name, he has also initiated
an extensive series of over twenty educational CDs.
Gerard Schwarz made his debut as a conductor in 1966, and within ten years
he had been appointed musical director of the Erick Hawkins Dance Company,
the Eliot Feld Dance Company, the Waterloo Festival and the New York Chamber
Symphony, as well as the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. In 1981, he
established the Music Today contemporary music series, serving as its Music
Director until 1989. He first conducted opera with the Washington Opera at
the Kennedy Center in 1982 with Mozartıs Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail, and
he has led performances since with the Seattle and San Francisco Opera,
Juilliard Opera Theater and the Kirov Opera in St. Petersburgıs historic
Mariinsky Theatre in works including all of the major Mozart operas,
Straussıs Elektra, Salome and Rosenkavalier, Beethovenıs Fidelio, Wagnerıs
Der Fliegende Holländer, Verdiıs La traviata, Janacekıs The Cunning Little
Vixen, Stravinskyıs Le Rossignol and Debussyıs Pelléas et Mélisande which he
conducted in Japan in May of 1998 with immense success.
Mr. Schwarz was named Conductor of the Year by Musical America in 1994, and
he has received the Ditson Conductorıs Award from Columbia University, an
honorary Doctorate of Music from the Juilliard School, as well as honorary
degrees from Farleigh Dickinson University, the University of Puget Sound
and Seattle University.
Johannes Brahms
Violin Concerto in D, op. 77
[1] I. Allegro non troppo 22:48
[2] II. Adagio 9:33
[3] III. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace 8:17
Camille Saint-Saëns
Violin Concerto in B minor, op. 61
[4] I. Allegro non troppo 8:47
[5] II. Andantino quasi allegretto 8:31
[6] III. Molto moderato e maestoso-Allegro non troppo 10:36
total time:
68:32
Producer: Adam Stern
Executive Producer: David Fulton
Engineer: Albert G. Swanson, SMI Recording
Editing Engineer: Dmitriy Lipay, SMI Recording
Mastering: Laura Harth Rodriguez, Francisco X. Rodriguez
Graphic Design: Jim Manly, Judd Robbins
Cover Photo: Laura Lewis
Elmar Oliveira, Violin
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor
Seattle Symphony