CLICK HERE To Get 7-15% Cash Back On All Your Online Shopping: ►► http://AventiMusic.net/Cash-Back Maxim Vengerov violin Daniel Barenboim conductor Chicago Symphony Orchestra Jean Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 1. Allegro moderato in D minor 2. Adagio di molto in B-flat major 3. Allegro, ma non tanto in D major The Finnish Violinist Sibelius was 38 years old when he completed this, his only example of the Concerto form, in the Summer of 1903. It was written for and dedicated to Willy Burmester, leader of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and one of the most highly regarded soloists of his day. At the time Sibelius' finances and a tendency to heavy drinking bouts were causing him domestic concern, and this seemed to impinge on the concerto's premiere. This was not undertaken by the dedicatee, but by Victor Novacek, who could not cope with the extremely difficult solo part, and the orchestra too had problems of its own. The outcome of this fiasco was that Sibelius revised the work which received its first airing in Berlin with Karel Halir as soloist and none other than Richard Strauss conducting. The reception may be described as having been lukewarm, but it is this version that has come down to us, and today this Concerto is as popular as it has ever been. The character of the concerto may be described, by turn, as rhapsodic, lyrical, extremely rhythmic, tender but with gritty dissonances, which together create a unique example of the Violin Concerto genre. The execution of this work not only demands extreme virtuosity but also physical stamina, as the whole compass of the violin becomes engaged. Many a soloist has taken a bow with the hairs of the violin bow hanging in shreds.
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