Concerto in D Minor, Op.47 for violin and piano by Jean Sibelius
Edited by Zino Francescatti and Alexandre Gretchaninoff
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) was Finland's greatest and first notable composer. Early in his career he found success as a violinist, but ultimately turned to composition, finding inspiration in the epic, mythical Finnish poem Kalevala and the breathtaking nature around his home in Ainola. His musical trademark is the organic, steady transformation of very small motives into sprawling, lyrical themes.
Sibelius's Violin Concerto in D minor (1904), his only concerto, is one of the most memorable-and demanding-in the repertory and perhaps the best of the 20th century. It is a magical, earthy piece, with some of his most gorgeous, soaring lyricism as well as some of the most exciting, driving energy he would ever bring to a work. He also brings numerous innovations to the form, most notably by elevating the thematic importance of the cadenza to a developmental role. Master level, grade 6.
