Violin Concerto in D minor

Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47

Composer: Jean Sibelius

Date of publication: 1903

Commissioned by Willy Burmester, a German virtuoso, Sibelius began his first and only concerto in 1902. However, it took until autumn of 1903 for it to reach completion in short score, before being finalized near the start of 1904. Sibelius was a heavy procrastinator, and spent much of this time in utter dejection or drinking at Kamp’s and König’s restaurants in Helsingfors, Finland. Despite this, Sibelius remained deeply passionate about the concerto, viewing it partly as a tribute to himself, a failed violinist who started the violin at 14 — far too late to ever become a virtuoso. Nonetheless, he had entertained dreams of a successful violin career, saying "the violin took me by storm, and for the next ten years it was my dearest wish, my overriding ambition, to become a great virtuoso." When he was 26 years old, he auditioned for Vienna's Philharmonic, but after he was rejected, Sibelius reportedly broke down and wept. This anguish and ambition are what drives his violin concerto, a painful farewell to his childhood wish. The Violin Concerto in D minor was like none of its kind: instead of trying to blend the violin in with the rest of the orchestra, Sibelius was adamant that the violin component clashed with them. Nonetheless, he was still able to create incredibly moving passages, particularly in his second movement Adagio and his first movement's dissonant and syncopated opening. When his concerto was completed in short, he pushed for an early performance, but Burmester was unable to comply. Instead, Sibelius allowed a violin teacher with no experience performing, Victor Nováček, to play the solo part in the premiere on February 8, 1904 — to disastrous results. Afterward, Sibelius continued revising his concerto and preparing for a series of "premieres" in October of 1904. Burmester offered to play in the premiere, saying, "All of my 25 years’ stage experience, my artistry and insight will be at the service of this work…I shall play the concerto in Helsingfors in such a way that the city will be at your feet,” but surprisingly, Sibelius turned him down again in favor of Karl Halir, a Berlin concertmaster. It's ironic and somewhat sad that the man who commissioned this iconic concerto, never actually got the chance to play it.

Fun Fact:

Despite telling his wife he had "a marvelous opening idea," the solo violin's first note creates a dissonant harmony with the accompaniment.

Movements:

I. Allegro moderato

II. Adagio di molto in B♭ major

III. Allegro, ma non tanto in D major