DLXXVII. BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van: Concerto in D Major for Violin, Op. 61

DLXXVII. BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van (1770-1827)

Concerto in D Major for Violin, Op. 61
1. Allegro ma non troppo
2. Larghetto
3. Rondo. Allegro
Hilary Hahn, violin
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Leonard Slatkin, cond.
(49:47)

It is hard to believe.

After an "unsuccessful" premiere, this great masterpiece languished in obscurity until the 12-year-old Joseph Joachim played it with the London Philharmonic under Felix Mendelssohn in 1844!

First movement

The opening with timpani; the unprepared D-Sharp in the violins (leading tone to E, the fifth of A dominant); to the shuddering 16th-notes in the lower strings -- all this on Page One!

a sudden deceptive cadence to B-Flat Major:

Secondary theme:

The soloist enters with an arching arpeggio and scale flourishes all on the dominant seventh until finally reaching a high D ...

D Minor:

A spine tingling moment. The soloist slides up chromatically, then after two bars of string accompaniment (three 1/8ths and a 1/4), (s)he is all alone to negotiate a delicate bar which ends on a high E -- moving to several bars of high-wire trills!

Observe the genius ... Beethoven moves the C-Sharp down a semitone to create a C dominant, which seems destined for F Major, but which turns to C Major:

Again the raise of a semitone (to F-Sharp) brings us to the submediant key of B Minor:

Now he starts changing keys every few phrases -- here from G Minor to E-Flat Major!

Hahn plays the Kreisler cadenza. 3:30 of incredible talent and beauty.

What heavenly divine music! The violin plays the theme slowly, accompanied by plucks of pizzicato. The solo bassoon intones the melody with irony/humor? ... and the violin then rushes to a triumphant conclusion!

Second movement

Traditional move to the subdominant (G Major). Sublime. A short cadenza then attacca to

Third movement

A simple Rondo with a simple arpeggio, with fleeting suggestive harmonies of I-V-IV-V-I:

A secondary theme in G Minor:

What a delightful two notes: pizzicato:

A quick, temporary move to A-Flat Major!

Another awesome cadenza, filled with double- and triple-stops:

Beethoven slows everything down before a call-and-response between soloist and oboes. You can feel the tension in the music as it builds to its conclusion:

Syncopation. A little reminiscent of the Pastoral.