Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in D Minor; Sinfonia

I came across this masterpiece in an old record collection and promptly went out and bought a CD which also contained Fingal's cave (another work of art, you can easily envisage the sea and the storms lashing the rocks).

The Version I have is Played by the philarmonia orchestra with Yehudi Menuhin playing violin and the late Efrem Kurtz conducting.

The piece opens with an allegro molto appasionato that moves the soul ...
...into mild intensity and sweetness before returning to a more passionate version of the initial theme and a crescendo.

I found out that the link between the first and second movements (with a basoon I think) was incorporated to stop the audience applauding between movements - This applause really disrupted the performance in Mendelssohn's eyes and annoyed him so he put this little bridge in place.

The second movement ... more

I came across this masterpiece in an old record collection and promptly went out and bought a CD which also contained Fingal's cave (another work of art, you can easily envisage the sea and the storms lashing the rocks).

The Version I have is Played by the philarmonia orchestra with Yehudi Menuhin playing violin and the late Efrem Kurtz conducting.

The piece opens with an allegro molto appasionato that moves the soul with a mixture of pathos and tranquility - this blossoms into mild intensity and sweetness before returning to a more passionate version of the initial theme and a crescendo.

I found out that the link between the first and second movements (with a basoon I think) was incorporated to stop the audience applauding between movements - This applause really disrupted the performance in Mendelssohn's eyes and annoyed him so he put this little bridge in place.

The second movement (an andante) could make your eyes well up. Yehudi Menuhin takes the centre stage here and plays with such awe inspiring feeling and grace in the early portion followed by distinct drama in the middle fading to a sleepy conclusion.

The third movement has everything (Allegretto non troppo - allegro molto vivace). Sprightly and sweet, long vivacious solos intertwined with chirpy interludes and occasional cheekiness! All very pompously played and concluding in a standard fashion.

There is a down side to this recording. In the third movement the horns are more apparent and during one particularly well orchestrated bit some fool on a horn makes an absolute "tube" of himself by playing so out of time it ruins the whole experience for a few bars.

Overall a magnificent piece that I listen to over and over.
 

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