Beethoven’s Lone Violin Concerto

In its pristine elegance, Ludwig van Beethoven’s only concerto for violin and orchestra is one of the most patrician works ever written for the instrument. The work’s sublime serenity is not that of a composer seeking to enlarge the range of the concerto to symphonic proportions, but a stunning evocation and gentle reminder of the transition from the classic poise of Mozart to the emerging strength of the Romantic era. Written in 1806, a time of happiness and productivity in Beethoven’s life, the Violin Concerto in D Major is a departure from his more aggressive heroic mode. It comes as a reminder that the classic elegance of the traditional sonata transposes easily in inspired hands to a greater sense of sheer melodic beauty.

The concerto is something of a musical marvel, considered probably the greatest ever written. However, it was not too well received at first. It may not have helped that Beethoven’s good friend, the bizarrely eccentric violinist Franz Clement, interrupted the concerto after the first movement by playing his own sonata with the violin upside down! Beethoven’s masterpiece was not successfully revived until 1844.

Many versions by ambitious violinists become quite hairy, but wise is the soloist who adheres religiously to Beethoven’s metronome markings. The concerto is one of those remarkable lodestones in Beethoven’s output, requiring nothing extraneous from the soloist other than his dedication. The emotion is already on the page, but can shatter at the slightest miscalculations.

Edo de Waart conducts the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and violinist Augustin Hadelich in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D Major and Carl Nielson’s Symphony No. 5, Oct 30-31 at Uihlein Hall, Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St. For tickets, call 414-291-7605 or visit mso.org.