Joachim Raff - Violin Concerto No. 2 in A minor, Op. 206

Joachim Raff

• May 27, 1822 – June 24 or June 25, 1882) 
•  German-Swiss composer, teacher and pianist.

 

Violin Concerto No. 2 in A minor, Op. 206

I. Allegro 0:00 "You feel your life's frail bark foundering..."
II. Adagio 9:59 "Coming from distant heights, the soft breath of consolation and hope nears..."
III. Allegro 21:40 "The tempest seems about to resume, but you heed it not..."

Michaela Paetsch Neftel, violin
Bamberger Symphoniker
Hans Stadlmair, conductor

The Violin Concerto No. 2 was composed for the Spanish violin virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate, but the violinist cancelled a meeting with the composer, intended to finalize details of the solo part, at the last minute, and evaded the premiere performance, which was instead given by Hugo Heerman in November, 1877. 

 It is an unusual concerto in that it has a specific program, penned by "Arnold Börner" - a non-de-plume for the composer himself. The program is:

I. Allegro: "You feel your life's frail bark foundering, the tempest rages, and in vain do you pit your pious courage against its fury."

II. Adagio: "Coming from distant heights, the soft breath of consolation and hope nears; you feel a reviving warmth, and peace enters your heart."

III. Allegro: "The tempest seems about to resume, but you heed it not, for the pain that oppressed your heart has given way to joy and pleasure."

The concerto is in the customary 3 movements, but the sonata-form of the first movement is telescoped in a rather original way, and the work also utilizes Lisztian thematic transformation techniques. The opening motive, heard in the massed strings of the orchestra, reappears at the beginning of the finale, and is transformed through diminution of note values into the scampering main theme of that movement