Tchaik's. Tied for 2nd are the Beethoven*, Brahms, and Sibelius, with the Mendelsohn close. I love the Barber until the 3rd movement, so it's gorgeous-but-short for me.
* Did you know that Ludwig himself wrote a 6th piano concerto by adapting the VC to the piano? It was startling for me the first time heard, but I really like it. My favorite performance (of the few) is Spada's with Gibson and the Philharmonia on ASV. |
Brahms, but I admit the Beethoven may be as fine a piece of music (the Bach double, also). Good though they are, the others are not in the same league. I like the Bartok, Prokofiev (2nd), Sibelius and Berg (love the Berg) at least as well as -- more than, really -- the Tchaikovsky and Mendelsohn. Many great performances of each, of course, but Szeryng never misses.
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JSB d minor for two violins
WAM number 4
LvB
not necessarily in that order |
In addition to Beethoven, Brahms, Sibelius, Mendelsohn and occasionally Tchaikovski, I can enjoy Bruch, Dvorak(!), Barber, Prokofiev, and Mozart. Dvorak gets more play time as I'm rather fond of Czech music. |
For me, in order:
1) Tchaikovsky (unassailable, in my opionion)
2) Dvorak (close 2nd to Tchaikovsky, if that's possible)
3) Mendelsohn
4) Sibelius
5) Prokofiev
6) Glazunov
Michael |
Michael, I'll second your list and your ordering, with the exception that at #6 I'd do this:
6) Wieniawski's 2d
7) Hendl
8) Glazunov
Great list. But, then I'm still missing from my list concertos I really enjoy by Arensky, Barber, Bartok, Berkeley, Bruch, Martinu, Menotti, Segerstam...
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My favorites in the following order are:
1. Beethoven
2. Brahms
3. Sibelius
4. Dvorak
5. Lalo (Symphony Espagnole)
The above in that order, then the following in any order: Tchaikovsky, Wieniawski, Bruch, Vieuxtemps, Mozart No. 4 & No. 5, Paganini
There is also much joy in listening to the various versions and critiqueing them. i.e. I thought the early version of Anne-Sophie Mutter playing the Beethoven with Herbert von Karajan was lacking in many things, but her new version with Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic is extremely good and can vie for the best among contemporary versions.
I think Heifetz still reigns supreme among many of the available recordings, and particularly with the Sibelius. He had no recording of the Paganini because as he said that was "for the rest of them". |
This is a "Sophie's Choice" question. It ought not to be answered. |
"This is a "Sophie's Choice" question. It ought not to be answered."
Not at all. Sophie was forced to select someone to die; we're selecting things we love without destroying anything. |
My personal favorites:
1. Saint-Saëns no. 3 in b minor
2. Tchaikovsky in D Major
3. Bach Double in d minor4. Shostakovich no. 1 in a minor
5. Lalo Symphonie Espagnole
6. Bach concerto no. 1 in a minor
7. Barber violin concerto
8. Sibelius in d minor |
BEETHOVEN "VIOLIN CONCERTO" HEIFETZ - MUNCH
(Vinyl original RCA LSC)
or when digital is the way to go
same Concerto with Herbert v. Karajan & Anne Sophie Mutter
Deutsche Grammophone |
Beethoven. Oistrakh/Cluytens on EMI
Mozart 5-I like Andrew Manze cycle the best.
Bach-Rachel Podger on Channel Classic
Mendelsohn-take your pick here-I will go with Perlman or Michael Rabin.
Brahms-Leonid Kogan/Monteux and the Boston.SO
Bruch-Francescatti/Schippers NYP
Sibelius- Francescatti/Bernstein NYP
Barber-Vadim Guzman in BIS
Korngold-Ditto
Tchaikovsky-many favorites Heifetz/Reiner today’s pick
Shostakovich 1- Oistrakh/ Metropolous in excellent mono, Vengerov/Rostropovich in stereo.
Prokofiev 1&2- I like Steinbacher on Pentatone-not the flashiest but she seems to humanize them
works I have never grown to like-Bartok, Elgar, Britten
this survey ignores the bazillion Vivaldi,Tartini, and other baroque masters
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All good choices, but I'm surprised nobody has yet mentioned the Stravinsky. His own recording with Stern (on CBS) is something of a disappointment, mostly due to Stern's intonation.
But there are some great recordings in the catalogue, like Chung with Previn (Decca, on vinyl coupled with the Walton), Perlman with Ozawa (DGG, on vinyl coupled with an equally outstanding performance of the Berg) and Mutter with Paul Sacher (on CD coupled with works by Lutoslawski, also on DGG).
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Kachaturian / Oistrakh Concerto in D minor |
My longtime favorite is one not yet mentioned.
The Glazunov Concerto, especially with Oistrakh.
The height of romanticism. |
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Brahms , Glazunov , Barber and Sibelius .
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Bach Concerto for Two Violins with the luminous Grumiaux...
I doubt that anyone can listen a violin concerto one time each day, except this one....
Some music are tremendous but continuous listening kills the emotion, not with Bach tough.... :)
I listen to it for 40 years thousand times...Without a small diminishing impact because of repetition, a feat that put it at the peak height on any concertos list...
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Right. The plural is indeed concertos.
Thank you, mahgister. |
I correct my naming Millercarbon because Bach wrote I think only one double violin concerto... And concerti is the plural of concerto in Italian anyway but concertos is acceptable I think in english ... My best...
There is many other interesting and stupendous version of this concerto, but none with Grumiaux illuminated rainbow sound... Even if on an orchestral point of view the version with Grumiaux cannot be the best one....I must admit that I try to replace it without success at all...
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@mahgister, the Grumiaux Bach Double is definitely a good recording. My other two favorites are Perlman/Pinchas Zukerman and Hilary Hahn/Margaret Batjer.
I think both “concertos” and “concerti” are valid spellings, although I generally say “concerti”.
While Bach only wrote one double violin concerto, he did write a relatively obscure triple violin concerto in D Major.
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Is it one inspired by Vivaldi? Oups, I think not....
An obscure work of Bach is nevermind a work of art...
By the way like I said, I had never been able to stick to any other version... I tried.... :) |
Godard's 2nd Violin Concerto |
Beethoven's my favorite. I think of it as a wonderful piece of music that happens to be a conocerto.
A couple of "near-concerto" offerings worth mentioning: Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante (violin and viola) and Vaughan Williams’ "The Lark Ascending"
Glad to see a mention of the Korngold--some good stuff in that one. Sounds a bit like a Star Trek movie soundtrack at this point, but that’s hardly his fault.
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