Schumann violin concerto d-minor

[Mischa]

The ugly duckling among the violin concerti: Schumann's second violin concerto (if you want to count the cello-concerto transcription as concerto). Written in a time, when his psychic condition started to paralyze his creativity and personality already, it's still no darling of the audience today. With good reasons, let's see whether you share these reasons:

Its history is fairly fascinating (evil minds say, it's the only fascinating thing concerning this concerto), the protagonists reach from Brahms entering the house of family Schumann for the very first time to Yehudi Menuhin and Joseph Goebbels.
Schumann was encouraged by Ferdinand David (Beethoven violin concerto) to write a concerto, he started to write down some sketches, but only when Joseph Joachim heartened him to write one, he started composing. It's been written in the time, when Brahms was introduced in his house by Joachim.
One year later - Schumann was already in the hospital in Endenich - Joachim received the score. As enthusiastic Joachim & Clara were at the beginning, their opinion changed entirely after Schumann's death: Clara obviously was afraid about the later fame of Robert (and very keen on her version of the last years), Joachim declared, he didn't wanted to grieve Robert, but as a friend he would have tried to prevent the publication of it after his death. Anyway, it wasn't premiered, his son prohibited to publish it until his father was dead for 100 years. Meanwhile his nieces claimed to be haunted by Schumann's ghost who craved to publish it.

When it was published finally in 1936, Yehudi Menuhin felt in love with it and tried to premiere it in Germany. Needless to say, that he never received an answer, the Nazis had other plans: masquerading Schumann as a Germanic antithesis to Mendelssohn, and especially his violin concerto. 1937, the concerto was premiered during a NS-event with Goebbels, the (partially literally) unplayable part of the solo violin was smoothed and beefed up by Hindemith.

The rest is speculation and opinion, and I'd really love to hear your opinion about some aspects! The first movement starts unmistakably Schumannesque with a very noble and athletic theme, that sort of Schumann theme, which immediately grips you. After the introduction of the violin the movement loses peu à peu its shape, there's no golden thread at all, it's without any impetus (though there're passages which reminds you directly on the Beethoven and Brahms concerti - Menuhin called the concerto the "missing link").

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQCLH77Fdcg&feature=related"]YouTube - Georg Kulenkampff plays Schumann violin concerto Part1[/ame]

The very same seems to take place in the other movements: typical strong Schumann - then passive processing. The second movement seems to be the most popular one (which I don't understand at all), a lullaby like melody carried by the dark strings, but somehow without any direction:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wuu4IyFscCc&feature=related"]YouTube - Schumann Violin Concerto in D minor 2, Henryk Szeryng[/ame]

And the last one - a dance with a ravishing site theme (I love that movement!):

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp2oYdw5fkI"]YouTube - Kavakos plays Schumann concerto, 3rd mov. (audio)[/ame]

Apart from some obvious faults and leakages, this concerto is whole-heartedy loved by so many artists who performed it. Given that a concerto like the Mendelssohn plays itself in a way, many artists adore it, you have to put a lot of effort in it to make it work. Asked of which of his recordings Menuhin would be proudest, he said the Bloch and the Schumann.
Maybe it's the fact, that Schumann wasn't able to compose effectively anymore due to his psyche, maybe it's because you find his genius still blazing through the concerto.

What are your thoughts? Have you experienced it in concert once? Do you like it?

[Mischa]

To underpin the passionate relationship of those who performed the concerto - Ilya Gringolts:

Playing the Schumann is the most wondrously weird experience. You come as close to chamber music in the soloist/orchestra setting as you ever get. You become enveloped in that warm and fuzzy orchestration of his, and you just don't ever want to go back. It's sublime.

[stephen w]

I've downloaded on iTunes movements 2 and 3. (The first movement is only available on iTunes as part of a whole album download). The performance I downloaded is by Thomas Zehetmair.

First impressions: rather puzzled at its history of obscurity. I was (after reading about it) expecting some obvious 'drawback' - and couldnt find it. I like both movements very much. Yes I agree the last movement is completely charming - quite simple and touching - and love the theme & find the orchestration restful. I'm most taken with the slow movement; a very beautiful slow theme, quietly working itself out.

I don't suppose Finzi ever had a chance to hear it, but I feel it would have really appealed to him.

I suppose its obscurity has to just be put down to the lottery of life that operates for the reception of all works of art. I do wonder about the original opinions about the work. The third movement undeniably doesnt fit into any 'blockbuster finale' expectations that might possibly have been held at the time; but it's hard to see why the slow movement was perceived as 'morbid'.

I found the Wikipedia entry for the concerto interesting.

[haydnguy]

Stephen, this is OT (but IS Schumann).

I was just looking at this CD on Amazon. Some lunatic marketplace seller has a used copy on sale for over $100, but you can download it for $9.00. I was just listening to the samples and it is absolutely gorgeous!!!

[stephen w]

I've now had a chance to listen through the 2nd and 3rd movement of this concerto several times, and would recommend spending £1.58 on iTunes at least, to download the 2 tracks! Anyone who loves say, Finzi's Romance for String Orchestra, or his Introit for solo violin & orchestra, will feel very at home with the 2nd movement.

Both of the Schumann movements are very lovely music.