Benjamin Godard - Violin Concerto No.2 in G minor, Op.131

 

Benjamin odard

 

 

Benjamin Godard, c. 1880, Bibliothèque nationale de France

Benjamin Louis Paul Godard (18 August 1849 – 10 January 1895) was a French violinist and Romantic-era composer of Jewish extraction.^[1] Godard composed eight operas, five symphonies, two piano and two violin concertos, string quartets, sonatas for violin and piano, piano pieces and etudes, and more than a hundred songs. He is best known for his opera Jocelyn. He died at the age of 45 in Cannes (Alpes-Maritimes) of tuberculosis and was buried in the family tomb in Taverny in the French department of Val-d'Oise

 

Violin Concerto No.2 in G minor, Op.131

Thomas Christian (violin), Bamberger Symphoniker, Christian Simonis (conductor)

I. Allegro moderato – 00:00​ II. Adagio quasi andante – 10:08​ III. Allegro non troppo –17:46

 

Godard's late second Violin Concerto in G minor op. 131 was dedicated to his friend, the violinist Johannes Wolff. Beautifully written for the instrument, it is a romantic violin concerto par excellence both in the virtuosity of its violin part and its whole conception. The character of the first movement is determined by the contrast between the powerful chords at the opening and the more tranquil second theme. Individual sections, recurring constantly, are linked by the soloist with brilliant cadenza-like interpolations. In effective contrast, the second movement (Adagio quasi Andante) is pervaded by a darker colouring established by the horn in a brooding opening theme. The mood is continued in the violin's apparently simple, sustained melody, which is briefly interrupted in the central section. Breathlessly energetic triplets open the last movement (Allegro non troppo), and violin and orchestra are given very little respite through-out. The solo violin's first relatively long rest is followed by a lyrical theme, and the two melodic `blocks' are then juxtaposed and contrasted. A coda in faster tempo, beginning at the point where a cadenza might be expected, brings the movement to a close.” (from Album notes by Michael Raab)

 

Plaster bust of Benjamin Godard by Ernest-Charles Diosi

 

Godard was born in Paris in 1849. He entered the Conservatoire de Paris in 1863 where he studied under Henri Vieuxtemps (violin) and Napoléon Henri Reber (harmony) and accompanied Vieuxtemps twice to Germany.

In 1876, his Concerto romantique was performed at the Concerts Populaires, and other of his large works were also performed at these concerts. In 1878, Godard was the co-winner of the Prix de la Ville de Paris. His winning composition, a dramatic symphony entitled Le Tasso, remains one of his most admired works.

From that time until his death Godard wrote a large number of compositions. These include eight operas, among them: Jocelyn (the "Berceuse" from which remains Godard's best-known composition), performed in Paris in 1888; Dante, played at the Opéra-Comique two years later; and La Vivandière, left unfinished and completed by Paul Vidal (1863–1931). The last of these was heard at the Opéra-Comique in 1895, and has been played in England by the Carl Rosa Opera Company.

He became a professor at the Conservatoire de Paris in 1887, and was made a Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur in 1889.

Works

Godard's long list of works includes five symphonies: Symphonie gothique (1883), Symphonie orientale (1884), and Symphonie légendaire (1886); Concerto romantique for violin and orchestra (1876), two piano concertos, three string quartets, four sonatas for violin and piano, a sonata for cello and piano, two piano trios, and various other orchestral works. Among his piano pieces may be mentioned Mazurka No. 2, Valse No. 2, Au Matin, Postillon, En Courant, En Train, and Les Hirondelles. Florian's Song is also very popular and has been arranged for many instruments. Godard's fourth sonata for violin and piano contains a scherzo written in the unusual time signature of 5
4. He wrote more than 100 songs.

According to the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, "Godard's compositions are unequal, if only because his productivity was enormous. He was at his best in works of smaller dimensions. Among his more ambitious works, the Symphonie légendaire may be singled out as being one of the most distinctive."[2]

Godard was opposed to the music of Richard Wagner and also highly critical of Wagner's antisemitism. Godard's musical style was more in tune with those of Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann.