Carl Flesch

Max Reger - Violin Concerto in A major, Op. 101

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• published: 17 Nov 2015
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- Composer: Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (19 March 1873 -- 11 May 1916) - Orchestra: Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra - Conductor: Hannu Lintu - Soloist: Benjamin Schmid - Year of recording: 2012 Violin Concerto in A major, Op. 101, written between 1907-1908. 00:00 - I. Allegro moderato - quasi Andante - a tempo 27:12 - II. Largo con gran espressione - a tempo 40:07 - III. Allegro moderato (ma con spirito) Reger's Violin Concerto in A major is one of his most extensive works. He wrote it during his first winter in Leipzig in 1907-1908. The concerto was written for, and dedicated to French violinist Henri Marteau, who premiered it under Arthur Nikisch in Leipzig on 15 October 1908. Reger himself held the work in high esteem, and while working on it wrote to a friend with glowing self-confidence: “The Violin Concerto continues to grow. [...] I believe the instrumentation is really good, for I tried to keep it as translucent as possible so that the soloist will not be covered. I know this sounds arrogant, but I believe that this Violin Concerto will follow in the footsteps of those of Beethoven and Brahms. We [meaning the German cultural sphere] have so far not had any real violin concertos besides those two.” The Violin Concerto indeed “continued to grow” and eventually attained gargantuan proportions, with a performing time of almost one hour. When violinist Carl Flesch later proposed making certain cuts to the work, Reger dismissed the idea immediately: “No, that is impossible. I have thought about this great deal, but the work is and shall remain a monster.” It is indicative that Reger referred to Beethoven and Brahms in the letter cited above. The Violin Concertos of these two idols of his are models of the ‘symphonic concerto’ genre, as opposed to the less substantial virtuoso concerto vehicle favoured by numerous 19th-century composers. Reger never wrote a symphony, but it is generally agreed that in his Violin Concerto he came very close, so much so that his early biographer Max Hehemann (1916) described it as “thoroughly symphonic, like a symphony that just happens to have a concertante violin part”. The symphonic nature of the work is due partly to its proportions and partly to the melodic violin part dovetailing smoothly with its overall musical shape. On the other hand, the symphonic aspects should not be over-emphasised, because for the soloist this is a highly demanding concerto, not just in terms of simple endurance but also because of its technical requirements. Yet these technical demands arise so organically from the musical material that accusations of writing a virtuoso concerto simply would not stick. Enormous as it is, Reger’s Violin Concerto is divided into the traditional three movements: - The extensive first movement opens pastorally, with the woodwind introducing the main subject. The violin joins in after a certain amount of noodling. The second subject, when it is introduced in turn, is also first presented by the orchestra and then by the violin. The music in the movement is lyrical and melodic but attains monumental proportions, and although the mood is overflowingly Romantic and the development section escalates to grandiose and contrapuntally complex culminations, this is more about intensifying and condensing the single underlying mood than about dramatic contrasts and conflicts in the tradition of Romantic concertos. Towards the end of the movement, in its conventional place, there is a solo cadenza where the virtuoso element is more overtly displayed. - Reger stressed the importance of the melodic element in the solo violin part, and this is particularly apparent in the central movement. It opens in a tranquil mood and traces soaring arcs while growing to an incandescent intensity, only to subside again towards the end. - The final introduces a more mobile and energetic element with a dance-like feel, balanced by the idyllic and lyrical second subject. Reger described the concluding movement in colourful and perhaps surprisingly incisive terms: “[It is] like a photograph of the Devil’s grandmother when she was still young and raised hell at courtly balls. It will be a good and bold movement that will infuriate the degenerate intellectuals!” The concerto is dedicated: "Henri Marteau zugeeignet".