LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Sonata for Piano and Violin, No. 7 Beethoven published Sonata for Piano and Violin, No. 7 in 1803 and dedicated it to Tsar Alexander I of Russia. He opens this work with a sprawling movement in sonata form. The music contains fierce contrasts, including beginning softly and ending in fury. The adagio in A-flat major brings the work a measure of sweetness, although chromaticism is used to intensify its lyricism. The finale is another tumultuous movement. This movement and its relationship to previous material represents Beethoven's innovative compositional technique of incorporating interdependence between movements. Gestures from previous movements are revived in this final movement. While the finale recapitulates past motives, it continues pressing forward until the very last chord of its raging ending. —Elizabeth TaylorDMITRI KABALEVSKY: Violin Concerto in C Major
Dmitri Kabalevsky's Violin Concerto in C Major was published in 1948. Many would look at that date and assume that this concerto is stylistically akin to the works of Shostakovich, Stravinsky, or other 20th-century Russian composers. This is not the case. At first listen, Kabalevsky's concerto almost sounds like it was written a century prior, due to its structure and, frankly, the fact that most listeners describe it as easy to listen to. Its bright allegro molto e con brio first movement, entrancing andante cantabile second movement, and boisterous vivace giocoso third movement make this brilliant concerto at once energetic, lyrical, and virtuosic.
Kabalevsky's motivation to write this concerto was inextricably tied to his support of the Soviet regime. His lifetime (1904-1987) spanned World War I, World War II, and most of the Cold War. As a spokesperson for Soviet music policy, Kabalevsky was a strong believer that music (and all art, for that matter) should reflect and glorify the state. The violin concerto is no exception, with its grandiosity, beauty, and spirit throughout.
—Anne McKee
NICCOLÒ PAGANINI: Moto Perpetuo in C Major
Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840) was the most famous violinist and virtuoso ever to live. He was essentially the first ‘rock star’ classical musician who took Europe by storm, touring all over the continent for much of his life. Today, he is revered by violinists for his compositions, which are among the most virtuosic and technically challenging.
