Brahms- Violin Concerto in D Major, op. 77 Part I
It is ironic that Brahms- champion of the conservative old guard against the so-called New German School led by Wagner and Liszt- patterned his Violin Concerto in D Major much on the same heroic idea that Wagner and Liszt held dear. However, Brahms’ vision of the soloist as hero is subdued; conquest via finesse and form rather than pure brute-force virtuosity itself. From the first defiant entry of the violin we know that a struggle is beginning, one that takes upwards of 22 minutes (in a standard performance) to resolve.
Dedicated to his close friend and violinist Joseph Joachim, it was premiered with Joachim as the soloist and Brahms conducting in Leipzig on January 1, 1879. The first movement is an incredibly complex interaction between the solo violin trying to find its way against a sometimes indifferent, sometimes downright belligerent orchestra. The second movement adagio is calm and simple (everything the first movement is not) while the third is a light-hearted rondo that combines traditional rondo form with, among other things, a Viennese Waltz and a Turkish March.
- Allegro non troppo
- Adagio
- Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace
I. Allegro non troppo
Double exposition form.
A calm, ascending/descending theme in triads emerges softly from the strings playing in orchestral unison. The last two notes before a slight pause seem to invite a response, “What’s next?” The response (phrase two) comes from the oboe, who plays just a simple inversion of the first phrase in a different key that moves in single steps (not triads). The oboe solo is played over warm strings playing an almost indiscriminate rhythm. Phrase three (0:32) is a grand tutti in the orchestra that is yet another inversion, this time of phrase two. Phrase three launches into the orchestral statement of the main theme, which concludes with a grand string descent into the transition.
The transition (1:11) begins with a slow, almost melancholy melody in the winds that is modeled after the first phrase in theme one. The winds are then joined by the strings and play the transition theme again before the strings begin to repeat a 5-note motive (4 descending, one ascending), which builds the tension for what’s coming next. An arpeggiated descent from the flutes at 1:45 followed by an ominous rumble from the timpani does not bring closure to the situation, but is followed by another soft, mysterious passage in minor key. This ambiguity is ended by the beginning of the cadence- a fanfare-like rhythm played loudly by the strings at 2:17. A series of descending 4-note figures precedes the entrance of the solo violin (2:38).
Unlike the violin in many other concertos (Tchaikovsky’s, for example), Brahms’ soloist enters with a bold, almost percussive line that rapidly ascends and seems to challenge the orchestra to listen to what it has to say by finishing its opening phrase with a slow, double-stopped descent (“Got a problem?”). The violin entrance is not built off of any new ideas, it’s just theme one in minor key. The violin and orchestra continue to wrestle with each other over a quietly rolling timpani. The winds play a falling motive underneath a dancing violin before a hushed, shimmering version of the first phrase of theme one (3:29) is heard softly in the strings. The violin plays a series of scales and arpeggios which melt into the second exposition, theme one played by the solo violin. The second phrase is a series of alternating high/low notes in the violins over quiet, slowly moving strings (4:47). Phrase three features bold double stops in the violin (5:10). The cadence is signaled by a horn call (5:32) which is soon followed by wind arpeggios with the violin again dancing overhead. A soft timpani roll is followed by a rising motive in the winds which gracefully leads the violin into theme two (6:23).
Theme two, phrase one is a moderately fast, lyric melody played by the soloist over pizzicato strings. This theme was not heard in the first exposition, and fills in the void between the transition and the cadence. The phrase is repeated by the orchestra before the violin takes over again with an embellishment of the phrase’s ending. At 7:40 the cadence theme returns, signaling the end of the second exposition and the beginning of the development.
The development (8:24) opens with a dark, stormy vision of theme one with the entire orchestra. This restatement is interrupted with the abrupt chords from the cadence, before returning to major and more cadence chords. Theme two (8:50) follows quickly in the strings and is repeated, both iterations separated by the quiet, falling transition motive in the winds. The violin takes up the transition theme in the low register (9:19) with the cellos, the melody of which is soon passed off to the winds and eventually the rest of the orchestra while the violin plays a dancing yet disjointed melody above. Violent trills from the soloist at 10:21 precede another stormy episode from the orchestra marked by a loud brass chord. The violin plays a series of ascending and descending figures that traverse a very large range up and down the register over quiet, heavy orchestra rhythms that almost seem like deep breaths from the exertion of trying to contain the soloist. The violin plays the cadence theme (11:15) in double stops over a steadily strengthening bass line. A short violin run signals the end of the development.
The recapitulation begins at 11:51 with the first phrase of theme one, triumphant in the entire orchestra. This is followed by theme two in minor key (12:59) following the cadence theme and again in major after a transition by both the soloist and the orchestra. Descending 3-note motives (14:54) in the strings lead to the cadence and a tutti section with theme one motives that leads into the cadence.
The cadenza (16:16) begins with a version of the first phrase of theme one and is followed by the cadence chords. It is frequented by multiple stops and difficult rhythmic figures, but introduces almost no new material- it’s almost entirely built off of ideas Brahms has already used. In this sense it is actually quite restrained. The cadenza lasts about 4 minutes, and its quiet ending (20:23) fits beautifully with theme one in the violin that immediately follows, beginning the coda.
The delicate, almost chamber music-like theme one recalls the concerto’s peaceful beginning. Falling 3-note motives in the winds precede violin arpeggios and scales (21:15) that crescendo and accelerate into an embellished version of theme one. The movement ends on 5 loud orchestral chords.
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If you are interested in listening to a recording, I recommend Leonard Bernstein and Gidon Kremer’s 2004 release with the Vienna Philharmonic on Deutsche Grammophone. You can buy this recording from Amazon by clicking on the image below. Alternatively, you can purchase this recording from the iTunes Music Store often at a reduced price by following the link below.
This article is part of the Music 365 series. To find out more about this project, please visit the project homepage.
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