Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto | Janine Jansen, Mikhail Pletnev & the Verbier Festival Orchestra

A virtuoso piece for the violin that almost takes your breath away with its suspense and beauty: Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, played by Janine Jansen (violin) and the Verbier Festival Orchestra under the musical direction of Mikhail Pletnev. The concert took place on August 6, 2017 at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland.

(00:00) Taking the stage
(00:35) I. Allegro moderato – Moderato assai
(19:47) II. Canzonetta. Andante
(26:07) III. Finale. Allegro vivacissimo

Dutch violinist Janine Jansen was met with rapturous applause as soon as she took to the stage and before playing a single note. The program includes the Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893), probably one of the best-known and most popular violin concertos of all.

The genesis of Tchaikovsky's only concerto for violin and orchestra was not unproblematic. In 1877, the Russian composer was experiencing a grave crisis: his marriage had broken down before it had even begun, and his romantic love for his former pupil Iosif Kotek (1855 - 1885) had to be kept secret as it was considered taboo. The result was severe depression. In the spring of 1878, Tchaikovsky traveled to Clarens in Switzerland to recuperate. In the idyllic landscape on Lake Geneva, he composed his violin concerto within a few weeks – in the presence of Kotek, who as a violinist became an advisor on playing technique. The dedication and premiere of the solo concerto was also problematic. Dedicating it to Kotek was out of the question, and he also declined to play at the premiere. Hungarian violin virtuoso Leopold Auer also turned it down, considering the violin part unplayable. In the end, Tchaikovsky dedicated his concerto to Russian violinist Adolph Brodsky, who performed at the premiere in Vienna in 1881. The concert attracted attention: while Brodsky was celebrated for his virtuosity, the audience had nothing but disdain for Tchaikovsky's composition, which received disparaging reviews. But after Brodsky's premiere, Auer revised his original negative opinion and subsequently became a passionate champion of the work which achieved worldwide fame as early as 1882.

Nowadays, it is difficult to understand what could have caused the negative reaction of the premiere audience. Tchaikovsky's violin concerto is a thoroughly romantic solo concerto. It is incredibly suspenseful and in places reminiscent of the great works of film scoring. The highlight is undoubtedly the cadenza, which, unusually, is in the middle of the first movement (10:42). The conductor and the orchestra hold their breath, as it were, affected by the spirited playing of violinist Janine Jansen. The most beautiful moment is perhaps when the orchestra comes back in again after this virtuoso solo performance and the flute intones the theme of the movement (19:18). More emotion, beauty and romantic expression is hard to imagine.

© 2017 Idéale Audience

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