CCCV. SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri (1906-1975)
The second denunciation (the Zhdanov Doctrine) put a crimp on many works from this period, including this one.
It landed in the bottom drawer and as he secretly worked with Oistrakh on revisions, it wasn't until after Stalin's death in 1953 that the work could be performed publicly (thus, the two different opus numbers) ...
This piece is a giant in the violinist's concert repertoire.
First Movement
A slow dotted-quarter/eighth theme in the lower strings introduces the solo violin:
Things pick up, and Shostakovich makes extreme technical demands of the soloist:
The movement ends beautifully -- a first inversion B-Flat Major chord (Neopolitan) with the tritone (#11) on top resolves to the tonic minor.
A shimmering effect is produced with the celesta and harp, accompanied by a soft, rumbling timpani and tam-tam ... masterful orchestration:
Second Movement
An impressive, clownish scherzo, beginning with just the soloist, accompanied by flute and bass clarinet! Shostakovich already suggested the tonality in those last few bars of the first movement with that B-Flat Neopolitan ... except he puts it into the Minor -- five flats ...
The DSCH motif appears, but not quite spelled properly:
Third Movement
As if to dispel the frantic mood, Shostakovich turns dark with horns and timpani beating out serious triplets, the submediant, F Minor.
The violin enters in eerie half-steps, but the melody soon turns into something bittersweet:
The movement ends with a long cadenza, leading right into the final movement:
Fourth Movement
attacca
Burlesque:
accompanied by that distinctive Shostakovich riff -- an eighth and two sixteenths -- the violin soars roughly above:
and what an ending!
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