Symphonie espagnole for Solo Violin and Orchestra
Edward Lalo

Edward Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole has remained a staple of the concert repertoire, taking its rightful place among a handful of celebrated violin concertos from the later nineteenth century. A great example of the French vogue for Spanish musical flavors that accompanied Bizet’s Carmen and Chabrier’s España, the piece’s compositional process was assisted by input from its dedicatee—the Spanish violinist Sarasate, who apparently provided Lalo with many of the work’s themes. Its rich instrumental palette owes its existence to Lalo’s compatriot Hector Berlioz, whose celebrated treatise on instrumentation was a great inspiration to the younger Frenchman. The word “symphony” in the title no doubt refers to the symphonic nature of its structure; exceeding the normal concerto format with additional movements, and containing a movement titled “scherzo” (“joke”), which is a traditionally confined to the symphonic domain. Despite the work’s title, the Symphonie espagnole is a violin showpiece, demonstrating a large repertoire of idiomatic violinistic demands and requiring great technical prowess on the part of the soloist. Additionally, thanks to Lalo’s compositional skill, all performers—soloist and orchestral players alike—are required to infuse their playing with a unique and enjoyable blend of suavity, grace, and passionate energy that is a hallmark of Spanish music.

The score calls for piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, snare drum, triangle, harp, and strings. Duration, 37 minutes.

Violin Concerto #5 in A minor, Op. 37
Henri François Joseph Vieuxtemps

The Belgian violinist Henri François Joseph Vieuxtemps also distinguished himself also as a teacher and composer who earned the admiration of Berlioz and Schumann, among others. A sampling of his work includes seven violin concerti, two cello concerti, three string quartets, a sonata for viola, and delightful concert pieces for violin and piano. His music contains a strong melodic sense combined with idiomatically virtuosic violin passages. His mature works show great compositional skill—even if his works lack the unique voice of the two aforementioned mid-nineteenth century composers.

In 1858, Vieuxtemps settled in Germany after leaving a court position in Russia. Here he began work on his fifth concerto, which was originally intended to be a competition piece. But Vieuxtemps had the further intention of reviving the Franco-Flemish violin tradition, while furthering the innovative structural content of the concerto form. The result is a single-movement work, with extended orchestral contributions adding to the narrative form of the concerto. In the confines of its relative brevity, the concerto features almost every technical demand of the solo violinist, but each is incorporated at the service of the musical content rather than as a mere virtuosic display.

The score calls for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings. Duration, 19 minutes.

Symphony #1 in One Movement, Op. 9
Samuel Barber

Barber’s Symphony #1 in One Movement, Op. 9 was composed during his time in Rome as winner of the coveted Prix de Rome award. By the time the symphony was premiered in Rome, at the end of 1936, the 26-year-old composer was already well known, and less than six weeks after the Italian premiere Artur Rodzinski conducted the American one in Cleveland. On July 25, 1937, again under Rodzinski, the Symphony became the first American work to be performed at the Salzburg Festival.

Single-movement symphonies were unusual in the early twentieth century. He did however have the model of Sibelius’ Seventh Symphony, as well as Nielsen’s Fifth Symphony (which is in two linked movements). Like these Nordic composer’s mature masterpieces, Barber created a brilliant example of tight thematic structure running across the entire piece. Barber himself confirmed this unifying structure in his own program notes:

The form is a synthetic treatment of the four-movement classical symphony. It is based on three themes of the initial Allegro non troppo, which retain throughout the work their fundamental character. The Allegro opens with the usual exposition of a main theme, a more lyrical second theme, and a closing theme. After a brief development of the three themes, instead of the customary recapitulation, the first theme, in diminution, forms the basis of the scherzo section (Vivace). The second theme (oboe over muted strings) then appears in augmentation, in an extended Andante tranquillo. An intense crescendo introduces the finale, which is a short passacaglia based on the first theme (introduced by the violoncelli and contrabassi), over which, together with figures from other themes, the closing theme is woven, then serving as a recapitulation for the entire symphony.

Barber’s Symphony is a dramatic work, but lacks a descriptive subtitle or any indication of a programmatic intent. The drama here is general, like that found in the great symphonies of Sibelius and Nielsen.

The score calls for piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, harp, and strings. Duration, 22 minutes.