Concerto in A minor for violin and orchestra, op. 53 ANTONIN DVOŘÁK (1841-1904) In January 1879, after giving the first performance of Brahms’ Violin Concerto, the famed violinist Joseph Joachim commissioned a violin concerto from Dvořák, having been interested in his music by Brahms. Flattered and excited by this opportunity, the composer, unaware that he was embarking on a long journey of frustration and humiliation, wrote the concerto in the summer of 1879, and sent it to Joachim for comments and suggestions. Joachim suggested several improvements should be made in the score. Dvořák respected Joachim’s opinion and thoroughly revised the piece and sent it back to Joachim in 1880. Joachim’s final reply came only in August 1882: “Recently I made use of some time I had to spare to revise the violin part of your concerto and to make some of the passages which were too difficult to perform easier for the instrument. Saying this with the utmost sincerity, I may - without the danger of being misunderstood - confess that I still do not think the Violin Concerto in its present shape to be ripe for the public…” Dvořák rewrote the Concerto and destroyed the original version. He finally completed it in 1882, stating: “I have retained the themes, and ca. 40 mins. composed some new ones too, but the whole concept of the work is different.” After it was published, the concerto was premiered in Prague in October of 1883, but not by Joachim, to whom it was still dedicated. The Czech violinist Frantisek Ondricek played the premiere performance and played it again that December in Vienna. Joachim never performed it. The Concerto is in the conventional three movement form, and presents the soloist and orchestra as equal partners from the beginning to the end of the work. The first movement is rhapsodic and improvisatory, opening with a fanfare-like phrase for full orchestra, followed by the violin soloist with a lyrical melody, presenting the material from which this extensive movement is built. A second theme is introduced much later. There is neither a real recapitulation nor a cadenza to allow the soloist to show his virtuosity. Instead, Dvořák proceeds via a brief cadenza-like transition passage for the soloist leading directly into the second movement, which is a Dumka, an old Slavonic style of folksong. A calm melody is sung by the soloist, accompanied by the oboe, leading into a stormy and passionate central section, giving the soloist an Allegro ma non troppo Adagio ma non troppo Finale: Allegro giocoso ma non troppo
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