Q1Violin Concerto History-Espen

8/12/2019 Q1Violin Concerto History-Espen

1/16

Q1: What composers and concertos do you consider important in this development andwhy?Meaning: The development of the violin concerto from the Baroque era until today.Q: !ow has the role of the caden"a changed through the times? #se as many e$amplesand dates as you can.

Meaning: %mportant colla&orations &etween composers and performers in creatingconcertos.

'oncerto is a musical composition usually in three or four movements with one

solo instrument accompanied &y an orchestra. The term ('oncerto) originally came from

%talian* which means to compete or to fight &etween the soloist and the orchestra* the

alternation of opposition and cooperation to create the music. %n the si$teenth century*

vocal music dominated the musical world+ there were less pure instrumental music.

,lthough much of it appeared in the dance music* it was not played in a significant role.

%n the seventeenth century* &el canto occurred in %talian opera* which means that the

singer e$pressed personal feelings in a colorful way. The &ac-ground music* orchestra*

not only provide harmonic support &ut also supply the volume* and tone quality. The

violin stood out all other instruments and soon &ecame the &el canto instrument. The

evidence can &e found in the later madrigal &oo-s of Monteverdi. The earliest -nown

pu&lication to use the term (concerto) is ,ndrea and iovanni a&rieli/s 'oncerti* which

the title page of the pu&lication in 102.

The earliest type of purely instrumental concerto is the concerto grosso. The

small group of performers* consisting of two violins and &asso continuo* was called

concertino 3or trio sonata4. The large group of performers* usually composed in four

parts* was called concerto gross. 5ater composers might refer to the larger group of

performers as the ripieno* which means a full orchestra* the parts were usually played &y

more than one player. 'orelli 31607812174 &rought the form to its first pea- with his


2/16

collection of twelve concerto grossi for strings 9p.6 31214. These are essentially

included the first set of eight da chiesa* which is church music with slow8fast8slow8fast

pattern* and the last set of four dance8li-e cham&er music* da camera.

Torelli 3160812;


3/16

violin technique* he used chord with arpeggio in various way* and &ariolage effects

li&erally. Many wor-s in the concerto form developed &y Torelli and =ivaldi feature a

solo caden"a. 'aden"as were commonly improvised* &ut some were composed and

written down. %t usually inserted &efore the &eginning of the final recurrence of the

ritornello. !is first printed collection* 5/estro armonico 9p.7 312114* including twelve

concertos* arranged in four symmetrical groups* for one* two* and four violins. @or

e$ample* o.* A=0 was composed for two violins* and o.1;* A=0; was composed

for four violins with cello o&&ligato. .>.Bach transcri&ed si$ of them for -ey&oard* and

latter arranged o.1; for four harpsichords and orchestra. =ivaldi/s late concerto is The

Cncounter of !armony and %nvention* 9p.. The first four concertos are his most famous

composition* The @our >easons. =ivaldi added sonnets as well as some further

instructions in the instrument parts as programmatic guides to each of these four wor-s.

Most important among the post8=ivaldian generation of %talian composers is

5ocatelli 316


4/16

more comple$. Both may &e com&ined in any given section of the ritornello design. 9ne

more important wor- composed during 'othen period is the Branden&urg 'oncertos

3BW= 1;681;014 in 121. Bach dedicated the collection to the Margrave of

Branden&urg* Eust a few days after his thirty8si$th &irthday. These wor-s reflect the

splendor of the 'othen court+ Bach grouped the pieces together* &ut never designed to &e

performed as a cycle. o. 1 3 horns* 7 o&oes* &assoon* violin piccolo* and a string

quartet and &asso continuo4 is the only movement included seven movements. o.

3trumpet* recorder* o&oe* solo violin and a ripieno string orchestra with continuo.4 o.7

37 violins* 7 violas* 7 cellos* continuo and &ass.4 o. 3 recorders* solo violin* and a

ripieno string with continuo.4 o.0 3solo violin* solo flute* solo harpsichord* and a string

ripieno and &ass.4 o.6 3 viola da &raccios* viola da gam&a* cello and continuo8&ass

and harpsichord.4 %n the wor- o.0* the harpsichord ta-es a significant step forward on its

path to &ecome a maEor solo instrument. %n the later year date from 5eip"ig* Bach

composed numerous harpsichord concertos. >ince the harpsichord traditionally had &een

viewed as a continuo or unaccompanied solo instrument* Bach had no direct models to

follow as had in the violin concertos* although his fascination with counterpoint as a

-ey&oard performer. !e adopted and arranged his earlier concertos for the violin or other

instruments to the -ey&oard idiom. Bach/s three surviving violin concertos and

Branden&urg 'oncerto o.* which features the solo violin* form the &asis of four of the

harpsichord concertos.

By the year Bach died in 120;* the solo concerto had replaced the concerto

grosso* a genre especially popular in Daris in the 122;s. Wor-s were written virtually for

each orchestral instrument in the solo role* although the violin remained the favorite.


5/16

'ello was growing to &ecome a solo instrument* &ut the repertory was small. The very

first two cello concertos composed &y !aydn 312781;


6/16


7/16

high register in solo violin part to stand out from the orchestra* and the use of shoc-ing

harmonic shifts. >econdly* the unusual treatment of solo trills. Beethoven uses these trills

not only to end a section* &ut also to launch e$tensions to solo section. Third* the solo

violin introduced the new idea in the development accompanied &y orchestra without

ritornello. @inally* the solo violin appeared in the coda following the caden"a. These

characters made violin concerto in the nineteenth century &ecomes virtuoso.

@ollowing Beethoven/s lead* composers of nineteenth century introduced the

heroic figure. Many composers discarded the old ritornello form* and increasingly wrote

the caden"a instead of relying on the solo performer to improvise. They could control the

most virtuosic element if the materials were written down. The solo violin presented

thematic material and virtuoso figuration while accompanying the orchestra during its

presentation of thematic material. The slow movement tended to &e short* viewed as

introduction to the fast and highly virtuosic finales. 'omposers often lin-ed the slow

movement to the finale without pause* and the final movements had always &een the most

&rilliant in a concerto. 'aden"a used to &e placed &efore the orchestral conclusion* in the

nineteenth century+ composers e$perimented with placing the caden"a in a variety of

places in the movement* usually integrating the traditional moment for intense virtuoso

display into the wor-/s larger form. >ome composers even e$perimented with

accompanied caden"a. @urthermore* the relationship &etween composers and performers

&ecomes closed. 'omposers respected the performers* and intended to discuss together

and cooperated a virtuosic wor-. Mendelssohn 31;


8/16

an interest in composing a concerto* and the idea was already ta-ing shape in C minor.

Favid helped with minor revisions and was largely responsi&le for the content of the

caden"a. The formal innovation is significant. @irst of all* the entrance of the soloist is in

the second &ar. Mendelssohn too- out the traditional ritornello form and stated the main

theme alone shortly &y soloist and the orchestra played the theme thereafter. %n the

second theme* the orchestra first presents the melody accompanied &y soloist while the

soloist plays on a sustained open 8note. >econdly* the central placement of the caden"a

&ecomes the development of the sonata form* and connected to the recapitulation* which

the orchestra presents the main theme and accompanied &y soloist. @inally* it is a

through8composed concerto. There is a sustained &assoon note to lin- the first and second

movement* and &efore the finale* there is a recitative8li-e passage of fourteen measures

without pause.

Mendelssohn/s influence successfully made the important effect to the ne$t

generation. Favid/ student* oseph oachim* was not only a fantastic violinist &ut also had

close friendship with several master composers. ,fter he played Beethoven/s violin

concerto successfully* composers such as >chumann 311;81064* Brahms 317781chumann heard oachim played

Beethoven/s violin concerto of the second time and met with him after the concert.

oachim was complaining a&out the empty virtuosic repertorie* and >chumann responded

&y composing the @antasie in ' maEor* 9p.171 31074 and invited him to play. %t is a

&rilliant one8movement piece in sonata8allegro form with a slow introduction. ,fter

completing the @antasie* >chumann &egan the composition of a more 'lassically

structured wor- for oachim* =iolin 'oncerto in F Minor 31074. oachim was not happy


9/16

with the piece* and complained that it was too much repetition* especially in the final

movement* there was no sufficiently idiomatic or &rilliant to satisfy a violinist. %t gave an

impression of having &een written with the piano in mind* rather than the violin. The solo

part is often covered &y the orchestra and not sufficiently differed from it. Dro&a&ly

oachim was getting proud* he as-ed Brahms to write a violin concert for him. Before the

violin concerto composition* oachim was helping some of Brahms/s piano concertos and

symphonies. ,s a violinist and conductor* oachim indeed proved a relia&le and ready

source of information for Brahms. Brahms =iolin 'oncerto in F maEor* 9p.22 3124

modeled some e$tent on Beethoven/s =iolin 'oncerto* ritornello form stated in the

orchestra &ut fantasia8li-e in the soloist. The second movement features a solo o&oe

e$pressive melody. 'uriously* this melody is never given in its entirety to the soloist. The

finale is a rondo with strong !ungarian or gypsy element especially included to please

oachim who was &orn in !ungary. Fvora-/s violin concerto in , minor 9p.07 312


10/16

century/s intense interest in nationalism* which included the musical past of one/s own

people. 5alo/s >ymphonie Cspagnole 31204 was written for solo violin and orchestra*

dedicated to >arasate. There are five movements* including >panish >eguidilla* a

flamenco dance* and Malaguena* a form of the fast* triple8meter fandango. >aint8>aens/s

violin concerto o.7 in B minor* 9p.61 31;4 is not >panish music. There is a graceful

fluid &arcarole styled in the second movement* and another chorale8style passage

sounding li-e Wagner in the finale.

Tchai-ovs-y 31;81


11/16

virtuosic wor- which means violinists8composers. Daganini 31281;4/s concertos

were largely influenced &y mem&ers of @rench violin school: =iotti* Greut"er* and Aode.

!e wrote si$ violin concertos* and the technique and the music were com&ined with

characters of %talian composers. !e used the 'lassical concerto8sonata form with full

orchestral ritornello* and did not see- new forms or novel methods of organi"ation.

%nstead* his innovations focused on the development of violin technique* and he gave

virtuosity new musical meaning. 'aden"as usually are placed to interrupt the final

ritornello. @or the most part* Daganini improvised his caden"as. %n violin technique* there

are several unusual device: 14 >cordatura. 4 !armonics* including natural and artificial

harmonics* and introduced dou&le8stop harmonics. 74 5eft hand pi""icato* and wide

intervals. ,fter Daganini* two leading violinist8composers followed Daganini and &rought

new life to the @rench violin school: =ieu$temps and Wieniaws-i.

, num&er of contrasting factors have affected development in violin music since

1choen&erg and mem&ers of his school* composing with twelve tones

related only to each other* which amounted to an e$treme departure from traditional

views of harmony. The concept of a row* or series* of tones* of series music* was then

applied to other musical elements* especially rhythm* dynamics* and tim&re. 9ther factors

that affected early twentieth8century developments came from fol- music* especially

from the Western Curope* which was &ased on rhythms and scales quite apart from the

Western maEor8minor tradition. , renewed interest in older music proved itself late in the


12/16

century* evidence can &e found in the cultivation of forms from the &aroque and earlier

period.

Clgar =iolin 'oncerto in B minor* 9p.61 31


13/16

the soloist entered in the fourth measure to present the main theme without orchestral

ritornello* and e$tended caden"a for soloist to ta-e on the role of the development section

in the sonata form.

>travins-y 3181travins-y started a

particularly widely spaced chord at the &eginning of each movement. The =iolin

'oncerto has four movements* all with Baroque titles: Toccata* ,ria %* ,ria %%* and

'apriccio. %n &aroque period* the term toccata referred to a style of virtuoso -ey&oard

composition. ,dapting the style to violin* >travins-y developed his own version of

&ro-en8chord figuration and a -ind of &ariolage technique characteristic of Baroque

violin concertos. Toccata also referred to processional fanfare for trumpets and timpani*

so that >travins-y/s main theme* presented in trumpets* may have &een inspired &y this

form of the toccata. The middle aria movements used the traditional Baroque da capo aria

in which the solo singer em&ellished the first portion of the aria upon its repeat at the

conclusion. The finale was inspired &y Bach/s dou&le violins concerto* in F minor. !e

used a solo violin from orchestra to against the soloist as a duet accompanied &y

orchestra. Besides >travins-y* there are two other important composers came from

Aussia* Dro-ofiev and >hosta-ovich. Both of them were writing two violin concertos.

>hosta-ovich/s concertos were dedicated to Favid 9istra-h.

Tal-ing a&out neo8'lassicism* no one can forget to mention to >erialism. %n

1choen&erg 31281


14/16

chromatic scale. Fue to escape the a"i* >choen&erg moved to #nited >tate in 1choen&erg/s connection with neo8'lassicism* which turned to use classical form* and

tonal writing* is different with >travins-y/s neo8'lassical style. >choen&erg was still

using twelve8tone technique. The solo violin part is very difficult* including large

intervals such as triple and quadruple stops* unrelia&le harmonics in dou&le stops* and left

hand pi""icato. These technique characters are nearly e$ploitation of the instrument/s

e$treme range. The piece was dedicated to his student* We&ern.

Berg 31081choen&erg. 'ompare to >choen&erg+

Berg/s music is more tonality* although &oth are atonal composers. Berg/s violin concerto

31choen&erg/s violin concerto in the first performance. The piece

was dedicated (To the Memory of an ,ngel*) to Mahler/s daughter* ,lma. %t structured

in two movements and each further divided into two sections: first movement is in

classical sonata form* second movement is a dance8li-e section* third movement is a

caden"a8li-e* &ased on a single recurring rhythmic cell* and an ,dagio fourth movement.

There is no pause &etween first and second movements* and as same as third and fourth

movement. Berg used twelve8tone technique* &ut the series of pitches he chose &asis

possesses string tonal tendencies:

* B8flat* F* @8sharp* ,* '* C* 8>harp* B* '8sharp* C8flat* @

%n the music content* Berg quoted tonal materials including fol- song* 'arinthian in


15/16

>outh ,ustina* and 'horale tune from .>.Bach Hs 'antata o.6;.

Barto- 31181erialism composer. %nstead* he &egan to collect fol-

songs in the countryside* developing a great sensitivity to and understanding of fol-

music in 1


16/16

Documents

Q1Violin Concerto History-Espen