Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto E Minor | Alina Ibragimova | Anja Bihlmaier | WDR Symphony Orchestra
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy's Violin Concerto in E minor op. 64, performed by violin soloist Alina Ibragimova and the WDR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Anja Bihlmaier. Recorded live on September 27, 2024 at the Kölner Philharmonie.
Concerto in E minor for violin and orchestra op. 64 - Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
00:00:00 I. Allegro molto appassionato - Pìu presto
00:12:52 II. Andante - Allegretto non troppo
00:20:13 III. Allegro molto vivace
Alina Ibragimova, violin
WDR Symphony Orchestra
Anja Bihlmaier, conductor
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Introduction to the works:
Patrons were not the only ones to inspire composers; countless works also owe their existence to the phenomenon of the so-called summer retreat. Away from the daily grind, there is time for leisure, which allows musical fantasy to unfold freely. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy's Violin Concerto in E minor was also largely composed during a summer vacation. His wife Cécile came from Frankfurt, so it made sense to regularly recharge their batteries in Bad Soden in the Taunus region. This was also the case in 1844, when the composer fulfilled a long-standing promise. Six years earlier, he had written to the violinist Ferdinand David, concertmaster of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig: “I would also like to write you a violin concerto for next winter; I have an E minor one in my head, the beginning of which won't leave me alone.”
This beginning is truly exceptional in its mixture of inner movement and simultaneous simplicity. Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto is one of the most popular pieces in the repertoire today. It is easy to forget that the composer peppered it with many details that were unusual at the time: for example, it is not the orchestra but the solo instrument that introduces the main theme. Or the solo cadenza: it does not come at the end of the first movement, but in the middle. In addition, the three movements flow into one another without a break – a surprising innovation at the time.
As Mendelssohn noted in his autograph, he completed the work on September 16, 1844. Then began a lengthy phase in which he repeatedly revised the score. Initially, he made fundamental corrections, but later he also incorporated suggestions from the experienced dedicatee Ferdinand David. He was also the soloist at the premiere on March 13, 1845, conducted by the Dane Niels Wilhelm Gade at the Leipzig Gewandhaus. The audience reacted enthusiastically, but Mendelssohn noticed further details that required further tweaking. The concerto was then published in print a few months later.
(Text: Otto Hagedorn)