Beethoven composed his only violin concerto in 1806, specifically for the young violinist Franz Clement, whose playing was described as being of "indescribable tenderness".
The premier was chaotic, with Clement at one point interrupting the program to play one of his own compositions while holding the violin upside-down! Other violinists attempted the work with little success, and the concerto languished for several decades. It was the sensational 1844 performance by the 13-year-old Joseph Joachim, with Felix Mendelssohn conducting, which firmly established Beethoven's Violin Concerto as one of the monuments in the repertoire.
Here is a wonderful 1962 archival performance by Yehudi Menuhin, violin, with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Colin Davis.
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John Scialdone published this page in Daily Beethoven 2024-05-27 19:43:32 -0400