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PROGRAMME NOTES JEAN SIBELIUS suggested that Sibelius revise the concerto, JOHANNES BRAHMS (1865–1957) and promised to promote the new version. (1833–1897) Sibelius made substantial cuts, including the first movement’s second cadenza (a Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 fluid solo passage to showcase the Symphony No. 4 in E minor, (1904, rev. 1905) violinist’s virtuosity). Yet Burmester was Op. 98 (1884–5) (31mins) slighted again when, refusing to wait for (45mins) the busy soloist to become available, Allegro moderato Sibelius arranged for Karl Halíř to Allegro non troppo Adagio di molto premiere the revised version in Berlin in Andante moderato The journey to this acclaim had not been Allegro, ma non tanto October 1905, directed by Richard Strauss. Allegro giocoso smooth. Brahms’s friend Kalbeck had Reception remained muted, with Joachim Allegro energico e passionato criticised drafts of the symphony, arguing himself declaring it “terrible and boring”. that the third movement was trite, and The life and music of Jean Sibelius are Burmester, now irreversibly offended, that the fourth should be a stand-alone PROGRAMME NOTES riddled with contradictions. His upbringing resolved never to play the work, which was There was a gap of a couple of years work. Brahms was defiant: “I don’t give a was essentially Swedish, yet he became re-dedicated to the young Hungarian between the Third and Fourth Symphonies damn about the shouters in the pit – and inextricably associated with Finnish virtuoso Ferenc von Vecsey. by Brahms, as there had been between his the rest of the public, between you and me, patriotism. He expected great discipline first two symphonies. He wrote No. 3 in ditto. You may be right. But first we have from his family to allow him to concentrate The Violin Concerto encompasses many of 1883, with the first two movements of No. 4 to hear how it works with orchestra.” Yet a on composition, yet his own self-control the contradictory aspects of Sibelius’s following in 1884, and the last two completed few days later, his confidence waned, and was undermined by alcoholism. Musically, music. The muscular, rigorous qualities in 1885. Yet the writing of Symphony No. 4 he stated that after the premiere: “It’s very Sibelius veered between the self-critical, fundamental to his style are juxtaposed was not strictly chronological; it seems doubtful whether I shall inflict the piece on austere classicist and the more indulgent, with a new element: dazzling display, likely that Brahms had conceived the last anybody else.” Brahms wrote to his rhapsodic Romantic. Nowhere are these including a fully written-out cadenza in the movement first, and wrote the other publisher: “… I haven’t the ghost of an idea polarities more evident than in his first movement. This first movement, with movements as though building towards whether I’ll let the thing be printed… You’d Violin Concerto. its Slavic opening line for the soloist, is this grand finale. be insane to invest a Groschen in it!” His pervaded by dark, woody sonorities: spirits rallied once he’d heard the work in Sibelius once harboured hopes of becoming prominent clarinets and bassoons, and The conductor Siegfried Ochs recalled a rehearsal, and Brahms wrote to Clara a violin virtuoso before composition took solos for viola and cello. The mysterious meeting between Brahms and the great Schumann: “I have worked long and hard over, and it may be that a sense of longing opening of the slow movement, with conductor Hans von Bülow, who had at it, thinking of you all the time, and for that lost career drives his only major woodwinds in thirds, arrives at firmer recently shifted his allegiance from Wagner wondering whether it might prove a very work for soloist and orchestra. The writing terrain with the entry of the horns, and the to Brahms, at which Brahms outlined his doubtful pleasure to you… As the piece of the concerto was frequently interrupted violin’s melody is punctuated by ascending idea of writing a movement using the pleases musicians (and does not entirely by extended bouts of heavy drinking, and pizzicato (plucked) scales in violas and recurring bass-line of the final section of displease me) I can’t exactly refuse to let its early performances were also troubled. cellos, reminiscent of Sibelius’s Second JS Bach’s cantata Nach dir, Herr, verlanget Bülow travel around a bit with it.” Sibelius arranged for the acclaimed Symphony (1901). mich, BWV 150. Hans von Bülow arranged German soloist Willy Burmester (a former for his Meiningen Hofkapelle orchestra to The work was formed around the idea of student of the great Joseph Joachim) to In the finale, the skittish levity one might rehearse and perform the work, with using elements of variation – when a give the premiere in March 1904, but was expect is replaced by a jovial yet surprisingly Brahms conducting the premiere on musical idea is presented in different guises compelled to bring the date forwards. weighty texture, described by music writer 25 October 1885. At one of Brahms’s last – throughout a symphony. This is apparent Burmester was unavailable, so the concerto Donald Tovey as “a polonaise for polar public appearances, the Fourth Symphony in the treatment of the first movement’s was premiered at short notice by Viktor bears”. As the work approaches its end, was performed on 7 March 1897 by the noble opening theme, which is varied more Nováček in Helsinki. With little time to Sibelius throws in some final-sounding Vienna Philharmonic directed by Hans than developed, reiterated at the opening prepare, Nováček struggled, and critical chords, but the real closing chords are Richter; on both occasions the composer of the contrasting central section, and then reception was unfavourable: Sibelius’s delivered with a witty, throwaway was applauded after each movement. again in an expanded form towards the music was denounced as “boring”. lightness of touch. >> Burmester, meanwhile, was enchanted: Interval (20 mins) “Wonderful! Masterly!” Even so, he 4 philharmonia.co.uk philharmonia.co.uk 5 FEATURE Q&A with tonight’s soloist, Emmanuel Tjeknavorian contrast between this movement and the gravitas of the finale. The final passacaglia is one of the most ambitious of Brahms’s achievements, cited for its structural cohesion by Schoenberg in movement’s end. There is also a more his essay ‘Brahms the Progressive’. The vigorous secondary theme, which is scoring includes three trombones and, as in PROGRAMME NOTES transformed into an impassioned fanfare the third movement, contrabassoon. A during its reprise. passacaglia is like a chaconne, in which a recurring bass-line provides the foundation The second movement is conceived in a of the work, but in a passacaglia the theme similar way, in a very expansive variation can be used in upper voices as well as in form. Its slowly-unfolding melody is the bass. In Brahms’s hands this becomes a introduced by the horns before being majestic movement of 30 variations with a passed to clarinets over a pizzicato coda (a final, conclusive segment). A gentler (plucked) bass-line. A triplet figure in the section, including a spine-tingling flute strings is transformed to become the solo, offers respite before the renewed spacious secondary theme. Brahms delays energy of the final section leads into a the emotional conclusion of the movement scintillating coda, in which the harmonic Arens © Uwe until the very last chord; the imposing implications of Bach’s theme are at last return of the opening theme fades into a shed in favour of Brahms’s own, thrilling You came to global attention when you won Your father is a musician. Did you always moment of exquisite serenity. conclusion. the prize for the best interpretation of the want to follow in his footsteps, and did he Sibelius Violin Concerto and Second Prize want you to? at the Jean Sibelius Violin Competition in He didn’t, but I was always beyond The third movement is the only true Programme notes by Joanna Wyld passionate about music and particularly ‘scherzo’ in a Brahms symphony, although © Philharmonia Orchestra/Joanna Wyld 2015. What are the demands and even so it has a robust quality typical of his rewards of this piece for the soloist? conducting. Now he is excited as well! style. The usual ‘trio’ section is supplanted It is a physically demanding concerto. And by yet another use of variation form, in this without a deep knowledge of the orchestral Which of the concerts coming up in our case a concise variant of the main material score it is difficult to transmit the great 2019/20 London season would you before the resounding reprise. Brahms range of emotions and colours that the recommend? includes a triangle to accentuate the piece requires. However, when many pieces It is always difficult to pick one. If I lived in in the puzzle come together it is incredibly London I would go to all of them; I can’t get fulfilling and rewarding. enough of good music! Do you think you’ll ever get tired of playing it? No, it is a great responsibility and a challenge to play the concerto every single time. Unfortunately or fortunately it really doesn’t get easier. 6 philharmonia.co.uk philharmonia.co.uk 7.

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