Worcester, 1857-1934
Concerto for violin and orchestra in B minor, opus 61
The Royal Philharmonic Society of London commissioned a violin concertante from Elgar in 1909. A year later, on 10 November 1910, the work premiered with the London Symphony Orchestra. Fritz Kreisler served as soloist and the composer conducted, with the piece dedicated to Kreisler. Elgar had begun a violin concerto in 1890 as a violinist himself, yet he felt that draft was unsatisfactory and destroyed the manuscript. Kreisler urged him to write a proper violin concerto in 1907, and Elgar performed it during the lull between his two symphonies after receiving the commission from the Royal Philharmonic Society. The concerto is widely regarded as one of the most challenging pieces in the violin repertoire. The first recording did not occur until 1932, performed by a very young Yehudi Menuhin, because few musicians were willing to tackle its daunting difficulties. After Menuhin’s recording success, the concerto became a staple among leading violinists and, in 2010, on the centenary of its London premiere, was performed globally. The soloist Pinchas Zukerman, born in Tel Aviv in 1948, has presented the work many times, often adopting the restrained, introspective approach that Menuhin popularized in his era. The reading is described as deeply expressive, even within the extended practice demands of the piece, which runs close to an hour. It stands as one of Elgar’s longest orchestral works and the final creation to achieve instant public acceptance. Its plot remains enigmatic, lending itself to a character study that has invited extensive speculation. A single line on the sheet music in Spanish — a phrase reading “Here his soul is locked…” from Alain-René Lesage’s Gil Blas — has fueled much discussion about the subject of the music. Some scholars have proposed a range of individuals connected to Elgar, including his wife Alice and his mother, as potential references. Elgar himself is quoted as saying the concerto is very beautiful and terribly emotional, admitting that his own emotions run high when he performs it according to the composer’s own recollections. The work was greeted as a powerful, ornate statement within the violin repertoire, and it continues to invite performers to explore its dramatic depth.