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Violin Concerto (Khachaturian)

User:Yerevantsi/sandbox/Khachaturian

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Piano_Quartet_(Strauss)
Violin Concerto (Mendelssohn)

Violin Concerto in D minor
violin concerto by Aram Khachaturian
Full title	Violin Concerto and Orchestra in D Minor
Key	D minor
Opus	46
Year	1940 (1940)
Time	35–38 minutes
Movements	three
Premiere
Date	November 16, 1940
Location	Moscow
Performers	David Oistrakh

Aram Khachaturian's Violin Concerto in D minor is a violin concerto in three movements composed in 1940 for David Oistrakh.

It was premiered on November 16, 1940 by Oistrakh.

repertoire

"one of the most significant works of his career"

"one of his better‐known works"

"one of his most brilliant works and has the shrewd blending of mystic East and characteristic West that mark most of his compositions"

Ivan March: the Violin Concerto (Khachaturian’s finest work); "his best work alongside the original score for Gayaneh."

The Khachaturian Violin Concerto is a popular masterpiece and is one of several works by renowned East European composers whose earliest exposure to music was with the folk music of their native countries.

Composition

Length: c. 35 minutes

The composer began work on the Violin Concerto, dedicated to David Oistrakh, in the summer of 1940, completing it in only two months. When the draft was ready, “the violinist invited me to his country home,” Khachaturian informs. “I played it for him [on the piano], trying for some degree of synthesis – the harmony with my left hand and the violin part with my right, singing some of the cantilena parts and the violin melody with the entire accompaniment....”

Subsequently, “Oistrakh came to play the Concerto for me,” the composer further reports. “My little cottage was full of people. It was summer and the door to the porch was open. Many musicians were there... Oistrakh played as if he had been practicing it for months, when in fact it was only a few days... and the same spontaneity marked his playing of it on the concert stage...” which happened for the first time on November 16, 1940, in Moscow, with Alexander Gauk conducting the USSR State Symphony, part of a ten-day festival of Soviet music at which Shostakovich also introduced his Piano Quintet.

"features Armenian folk material supported by stirring rhythms reminiscent of Gershwin."

Violinist and conductor Sergey Smbatyan argued that Khachaturian "reinterpreted so much Armenian folk music in the concerto" and although he wrote its second movement for a "tragic movie about the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks. But the tragedy comes straight from the Armenian soul."

"full of [Khachaturian's] trademark Armenian folk flourishes"

In its incorporation of "much folk color", Masur likened it to Antonín Dvořák's Violin Concerto.

"Filled with the Orientalism that composers like Rimsky-Korsakov and Borodin had made characteristic of Russian music 60 years before, the concerto fitted into a longstanding tradition of attractive, accessible fare."

"full of oriental-Armenian folk motifs"

Хачатурян настолько проникся музыкой своего народа, что исследователи постоянно обнаруживают в его творчестве прямые и опосредованные связи с теми или иными фольклорными мелодиями. Так, в Скрипичном концерте тема главной партии I части близка песне «Шествуй, шествуй» [Քելե քելե] и танцу «Кочарú», тема побочной партии той же части — песне «Ручеёк» [էս առուն ջուր է գալիս], а основная тема финала — песне «Башмачок». Посредством подобных вкраплений композитор всемерно усиливал и обострял ярко выраженный национальный колорит.

Rachel Barton Pine compared the rhythmic pattern of the opening violin solo to "so many speed metal riffs."

"Khachaturian with a much larger orchestration — very, very vibrant. Lots more tutti sections — where the orchestra plays without the soloist — in the Khachaturian, and they get many moments in the spotlight, including in the second movement. There's a whole extended viola section solo, which sounds like the start of a viola joke or something, but it's actually just really wonderful and something that you don't often encounter in concertos."

Roger Covell Although Khachanturian was of Armenian descent, he had apparently never visited Armenia until 1939. One of the first musical evidences of this encounter with Armenian musical traditions at their source was his violin concerto, written soon after.

the chattering figuration of the opening, and she brings a rare tenderness to the lyrical second subject.

the cantabile second subject After the predatory bassoon's sinister incantation, as if shrouded in a monk's habit, the Andante sostenuto emerged as a nocturnal Armenian serenade.

Jan Smaczny called it "direct in expression and unashamedly Romantic".

Structure

Violin concerto in D minor (1940)

• First movement: Allegro con fermezza (about 14 minutes)
• Second movement: Andante sostenuto (about 12 minutes)
• Third movement: Allegro vivace (about 9 minutes)

A movement in sonata form, the Allegro con fermezza opens with a melody that has been described as "energetic" a "rollicking dance-like theme," and this yields to a "more lyrical" secondary melody.

The Andante sostenuto has been described as "a rhapsodic slow movement that sweeps one into a brooding wintry landscape." Geoffrey Norris wrote, "The ease and spontaneity, pungency and flexibility of Khachaturian's melodic inventions are most clearly laid out in the Andante sostenuto of the central movement, cast in a free-flowing, quasi-improvisatory manner redolent of the art of Armenian folk music." The second movement is a free-flowing rondo.

The concluding Allegro vivace has been called "a whirlwind of motion and virtuosity." In this movement, "the folks element is specially pronounced in the dance-like vigor of the main melody and in the repetitive, insistent, wild virtuosity of the solo instrument."

History

1949: The Khachaturian Concerto has jumped into immediate popularity both here and abroad.

Unlike many works that ultimately found their way into the hearts of music lovers, the concerto was an instant hit; praised from its first, private performances, it became one of the most popular new works played in the Soviet Union.

The Soviet Armenian composer wrote the work in 1940 for his brilliant compatriot, David Oistrakh, who championed it in performances at home and abroad during and after World War II. Audiences and Soviet officials loved it for its accessibility, Armenian-flavored sweet-and-sour melodies, Technicolor orchestration and rhythmic vitality. But with Oistrakh’s death in 1974 (as well as changing tastes), the grand-scale piece not so gradually dropped from sight. Some younger violinists have recently taken it up. Coaxing, cajoling, beguiling, violinist Gil Shaham tried to build a case for bringing Aram Khachaturian’s once-popular Violin Concerto back to the mainstream in a performance Thursday night with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The sprawling music was only fitfully interesting. The composer’s ideas petered out rather quickly, his elaborations of folkloric melody seemed simplistic, and his rhythmic concepts -- although catchy -- grew predictable, unchallenging and repetitive. Khachaturian never went very deep, nor did he express emotions memorably.

a much-loved Violin Concerto -- was consistently performed by the finest orchestras and soloists around the world.

"unjustly neglected"

The violinist Leonid Kogan, then 16, attended the concerto's premiere, as did luminaries like Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Kabalevsky and Miaskovsky. "For us young violinists it was a revelation," Kogan wrote later. "I remember that the concerto seemed to us to be extremely difficult, almost impossible to perform."

August 7, 1948

Harold C. Schonberg wrote that "violinists were constantly playing the violin concerto."

First Los Angeles Philharmonic performance: August 18, 1964, Sixten Ehrling conducting, with soloist Edith Peinemann

Ivan March: in the immediate post-war era ... Around the same time Max Rostal premiered the Violin Concerto in London

It has recently disappeared from the concert hall as the composer's reputation has sagged, but it deserves at least an annual place at the Proms, instead of some of the tuneless offerings we do get!

Oistrakh’s first recorded performance became a worldwide favorite immediately after the war, a calling card for the great violinist, who frequently performed it under the composer’s baton, and recorded it on several further occasions. The Concerto’s high-flying virtuosity, its yearning melodic intensity, its exoticism appealed as much to audiences as Oistrakh’s playing of it, which thrilled even those (professional critics, mainly) who found the score “lacking in depth” and perhaps a little too much fun. With the passing of Oistrakh it began to fade from view until very recently, when it has proven catnip to such young violinists as Gil Shaham, Julia Fischer, and Sergei Khachatryan.

Violinist Julia Fischer called the concerto a "dream piece", but noted that when she proposed playing it, she "usually encountered strong opposition from conductors and concert promoters alike." She stated: "I have never understood the aversion to this piece, as I consider it to be one of the most exciting works to have emerged from the 20th century."

Gil Shaham: “Very simply, it’s wonderful. Here’s a composer with an incredible gift for melody who lived not far from our time, and all that luscious melody has made some suspicious of it. And the Armenian musical language just lies so well for the violin. I, too, grew up on the Oistrakh recording and I’d always wanted to play the Concerto, and friends of mine had already learned it at early ages. But for some reason, maybe that few conductors were interested in it or really knew it, put me off until quite recently. Now I’m in love with every measure of it, the slow movement in particular, its chromatic inflections, the Armenian modes. And so original! Those augmented seconds [he sings]... and I think... enharmonic is a word I’m looking for, like F-natural becoming an E-sharp [he illustrates with violin pizzicatos]... so touching. The most challenging part is to get into its national character, like learning a role in a play. And it requires tremendous stamina. For instance after the cadenza [Shaham plays the composer’s own at these concerts] you get three bars, then you’re racing on again, with music just as demanding for the performer... and so it goes to the end.”

Pentatone (record label) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I3ayHYN5jE&ab_channel=PENTATONE Julia Fischer about Russian Violin Concertos and Bach Sonatas (2004) https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/4I3ayHYN5jE

Flute adaptation

French virtuoso flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal on the flute

One of Rampal's contributions has been to introduce into the flute repertory some larger-scale works, like the Khachaturian transcription. "I think that it's a good addition to the flute literature, because unfortunately we were out of a big concerto in this style of music. I would say that it is our equivalent of the Tchaikovsky violin concerto. It may be too kind to compare this work with the Tchaikovsky, but surely Khachaturian would not mind." https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1982/01/07/best-flute-forward/a3786c26-b33b-4657-b805-63dc308d9199/ https://archive.ph/fR5rK

The Calgary Herald 18 Jan 1975[1] "famous Violin Concerto for which he won the 1940 Stalin prize transcribed for the flute by Rampal himself in 1968. Perhaps only a virtuoso as great as Rampal would have dared to tackle the fiery and brilliant Khachaturian cadenzas with an instrument for which they were not written, But even given Rampal's extraordinary skills, it was nothing short of unearthly the way he handled the music." "There are parts of the concerto which would tax even the most deft violinist, and there was Rampal floating through them with a wind instrument with no more apparent effort than if he were playing a gentle Mozart minuet."

James Galway: It was another famous flautist, Jean-Pierre Rampal, who asked the composer, successfully, for permission to adapt the violin concerto with the flute as solo instrument. Galway has made his own transcription, one that deserves to earn considerable mileage from flautists clever enough to play it.

A much better reason is the soloist Emmanuel Pahud, who played the Violin Concerto by Aram Khachaturian in a transcription for flute by the late Jean-Pierre Rampal.

Critical reception

Many critics have pointed to its technical difficulty. David Mermelstein wrote in The New York Times that it is "beloved by aficionados of the instrument." He argued that the violin solo in the first movement is "fiendishly difficult to play" and noted that the "thorny first-movement cadenza or, more accurately, cadenzas have challenged plenty of virtuoso fiddlers." Maya Pritsker praised its "perpetual feast and improvisational freedom". Charles J. Schreiber agreed that it allows for "artist freedom of expression and interpretation".

Critics have variously called it "palpably vibrant," "exuberant", "tempestuous", "dazzling", "exhilarating", and "vital, rhythmically unique". German conductor Kurt Masur called it "simple, reflective of ballet music" and as having a "melancholy, Eastern flavor and ornaments [...] the smell of rose perfume." Roger Covell described it as an "attractive piece, not least in its Armenian infections, and has a particularly dizzy finale."

Some critics have singled out the Andante, the slow second movement. Tim Ashley, writing in The Guardian praised it as an "immensely attractive work" and added that the "swaying, hypnotic Andante is notably beautiful." Fiona Maddocks wrote that the middle Andante has an "almost mystical mood." Edward Greenfield went as far to argue that the "concerto has claims to be the composer’s finest work, claims which the yearning tenderness of the slow movement [Andante] support." Ivan March praised the concerto as a "splendid" work with "some marvelous tunes." He singled out the "dreamy and languorous melodies" of the Andante, "full of Eastern promise", and the "unforgettable second subject of the first movement," which is recalled in the finale. The latter has a "sinuous Armenian character," he wrote.

Writing in 1949, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette critic Donald Steinfirst called it a "classic work, brimful of exciting demands on the violin, romantic in concept yet drawings on the new harmonies for color and brilliance." In 1968 Steinfirst gave a more mixed review:

Although the Khachaturian Concerto was written only 20 [28] years ago, its musical ideas stem from an older generation and there is nothing in it that reflects contemporary musical thought. It is a breezy work abounding in pseudo folk music that borders on the popular and many of its catchy little tunes are whistle able. For all its whimsy it is an attractive piece [...] . It uses syncopation almost to the point of jazz and is fiery and romantic by turns.

Over the years Washington Post critic Joseph McLellan gave the concerto mixed and contradictory reviews, calling it "spectacular", "formidable", but also "rather deplorable". He argued that it is "only marginally worth playing at best" and is "less interesting" than Johannes Brahms's Violin Concerto.

Other Washington Post critics Philip Kennicott and Tim Page are also dismissive. Kennicott called it "oppressively square-jawed music", while Page classified it "tub-thumping Soviet nationalism and pensive Armenian melodies, slightly stirred," but called the first-movement cadenza as "astonishingly virtuosic, yet never devolved into mere fancy work." Kennicott was harsher; opining that Khachaturian's music "has no soul" and "reeks of the totalitarian aesthetic: buff and impenetrable with no joy in its swagger." Hilary Finch of The Times called it "fiendish" with "richly ornamented melismata from the Armenian sharakans hymnody, and with each cadenza and peroration a movement in itself." Both Finch and Paige criticized its length.

Reading Eagle's Gary Trollinger called it "plenty melodious without being remarkably moving". Tippen Davidson of the Daytona Beach Morning Journal was also critical, describing it as a "self-consciously Armenian work, terribly busy without being in the least vigorous." He argued that it is not a "very compelling work" and is a "blend of polytonality and pancake syrup."

A reviewer in The Evening Independent argued that "only in the slow movement Andante sostenuto did the composer and the soloist have a chance to do what they both do best: sing. Indeed, the acrobatics of the first movement seemed to force the soloist into an occasional stridency of tone which may have been merely a reflection of the paltry nature of the music."

Writing in The Tuscaloosa News, Fred Goossen went as far as to argue that only in his "best works such as the Violin Concerto and, despite its bombast, the Piano Concerto, does Khachaturian rise above the level of commercial practitioner."

In the New York Times, Vivien Schweitzer called it "difficult, folkloric" with an "acrobatic solo part" and a "rhythmically driven score" with "folk-infused melodies and exotic harmonies derived from Armenian modes and scales."

Recordings

https://classic-online.ru/ru/production/1832

Jean Ter-Merguerian

Year	Soloist	Conductor	Orchestra
1946	David Oistrakh	Alexander Gauk	USSR State Symphony Orchestra
1947	Gerhard Taschner	Artur Rother	Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra
1955	David Oistrakh	Aram Khachaturian	National Philharmonic Orchestra
1956	Ruggiero Ricci	Anatole Fistoulari	London Philharmonic Orchestra (stereo)
1964	Henryk Szeryng	Antal Doráti	London Symphony Orchestra
1967	David Oistrakh	Aram Khachaturian	Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra
1984	Itzhak Perlman	Zubin Mehta	Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
1989	Valery Klimov	Evgeni Svetlanov	USSR Academy Symphony Orchestra
1990	Lydia Mordkovitch	Neeme Järvi	Royal Scottish National Orchestra
2004	Julia Fischer	Yakov Kreizberg	Russian National Orchestra
2007	Aaron Rosand	Kees Bakels	Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
2008	Nicolas Koeckert	José Serebrier	Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
2010	Ara Malikian	Jesús Amigo	Extremadura Symphony Orchestra
2011	Mikhail Simonyan	Kristjan Järvi	London Symphony Orchestra
2014	James Ehnes	Mark Wigglesworth	Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
2018	Nemanja Radulović	Sascha Goetzel	Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra
2019	Rachel Barton Pine	Teddy Abrams	Royal Scottish National Orchestra
2020	Antje Weithaas	Daniel Raiskin	Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie

Recordings of the Violin Concerto in D minor

Year	Soloist	Conductor	Label	Catalogue	Duration	Ref
1993	Ames Piano Quartet	Dorian	90167	38:35

In 1958 Leonid Kogan recorded an outstanding version of the concerto for RCA with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, directed by Pierre Monteux.

Aram Khachaturian's Violin Concerto in D Minor pushed the orchestra, and soloist Judith Ingolfsson, to a consistently high pitch of nervous energy. It was exhausting, though at times impressive.

New York Philharmonic premiere, more than 60 years after it was first played, in Moscow. Silvia Marcovici is the soloist, and Kurt Masur conducts

James Ehnes (violin), Melbourne Symphony Orchestra/Wigglesworth, Ehnes Quartet (Onyx) [2]

Nicolas Koeckert [3]

Gil Shaham [4]

Ruggiero Ricci

Mischa Elman and the Vienna State Opera Orchestra

KHACHATURIAN: Violin Concertoto, SAINT-SAENS: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso. Mischa Elman, violin; Vladimir Golschmann conducting the Vienna State Opera Orchestra. One Stereo, (Vanguard VSD-2037) Ocala Star-Banner 1 Nov 1959 [5]

https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=8.570988 Nicolas Koeckert

https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%208918 Lydia Mordkovitch

Arabella Steinbacher
Rachel Barton Pine
Sergey Khachatryan
Leonid Kogan / Pierre Monteux discography
Jean Ter-Merguerian
Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra)

Violin Concerto (Weinberg)

Gerhard Taschner

https://web.archive.org/web/20151230023705/https://www.archiphon.de/arde/catalog/products/taschner/taschner-arc-126-Taschner-Konzerte.php After the war was over, the score to Khachaturian’s violin concerto was made available to Taschner by the Russian occupying forces. It was Taschner who made the work known in Germany. The Archiphon release is the third recording in an epoch-making series: Oistrakh 1944 (who premiered the concerto in 1940), Kaufman 1946 (the first American release) and Taschner 1947 (with the RSO Berlin under Artur Rother) - both the youngest and fieriest of the three recordings. Also appearing on CD for the first time is Sarasate’s "Zigeunerweisen", which Taschner recorded in 1944 with Michael Raucheisen. This recording made its way to Russia as war booty, but was returned in 1991.

raw

Արամ Խաչատրյան ջութակի կոնցերտ site:sci.am

http://www.khachaturian.am/rus/works/koncert.htm

https://apo.am/recordings/%D1%85%D0%B0%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80%D1%8F%D0%BD-%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%82-%D0%B4%D0%BB%D1%8F-%D1%81%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BF%D0%BA%D0%B8-%D1%81-%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BA%D0%B5%D1%81

• Kushner, David Z. (October 2018). "Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978): A Retrospective" (PDF). Athens Journal of Humanities and Arts. 5 (4). Arts, Humanities and Education Division of the Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER): 373–400.

Formally, they [concerti for the violin and cello] follow the pattern of the Piano Concerto, thus material from the first movement finds its way into the finale, thematic materials are expanded after their initial appearance, cadenzas are tours de force (Example 4), and folkloric elements abound.

Oistrakhʼs comments:

... I came to know him quite well while the Violin Concerto was being written. I remember that summer day in 1940 when he first played the Violin Concerto, which he had just finished. He was so totally immersed in it that he went immediately to the piano. The stirring rhythms, characteristic turns of national folklore, and sweeping melodic themes captivated me at once. He played with tremendous enthusiasm. One could still feel in his playing that artistic fire with which he had created the music. Sincere and original, replete with melodic beauty and folk colors, it seemed to sparkle. All these traits which the public still enjoys in the Concerto made an unforgettable impression at the time. It was clear that a vivid composition had been born, destined to live long on the concert stage. And my violin was to launch it on its career.9 

during the 1940s, he was rewarded with the Stalin Prize for his Violin Concerto (1941--second class), a prize whose purpose was to recognize achievements which brought honor to the Soviet Union and/or socialism

Like Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto, which has already begun re-appearing here and there — including a performance from this orchestra two years ago — it’s a work of strong rhythms and colorful melody inspired by the composer’s Armenian heritage.

scholar

https://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/object/fsu:181979 Jascha Heifetz, David Oistrakh, Joseph Szigeti

https://www.proquest.com/openview/e5ee949c8713b28b9045ff0e020ae74f/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y A pedagogical guide to selected violin concertos by Bach, Viotti, Goldmark, and Khachaturian

https://www.belcanto.ru/khachaturian_concerto_violin.html

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/961a/a991d8a656d368094d0a08ab783b504241c0.pdf Artists of the first rank, David Oistrakh for the Violin Concerto, and Svyatoslav Knushevitsky for the Cello Concerto, introduced these works as well. The composerʼs collegiality with regard to his chosen soloists is exemplified by Oistrakhʼs comments:

... I came to know him quite well while the Violin Concerto was being written. I remember that summer day in 1940 when he first played the Violin Concerto, which he had just finished. He was so totally immersed in it that he went immediately to the piano. The stirring rhythms, characteristic turns of national folklore, and sweeping melodic themes captivated me at once. He played with tremendous enthusiasm. One could still feel in his playing that artistic fire with which he had created the music. Sincere and original, replete with melodic beauty and folk colors, it seemed to sparkle. All these traits which the public still enjoys in the Concerto made an unforgettable impression at the time. It was clear that a vivid composition had been born, destined to live long on the concert stage. And my violin was to launch it on its career.9

[6] Harford, Margaret. "Louis Kaufman Introduces New Khachaturian Violin Concerto." Hollywood Citizen-News, December 17, 1945. Review of the December 16, 1945, performance of Louis and Annette Kaufman. "Kaufman is consistently interesting. . . . Bringing the beloved Negro Spirituals into the violin repertoire is a very pleasing idea, we think, after hearing . . . Kaufman's own arrangement of Still's Here's One."

BBC Music Magazine Top 1000 CDs Guide - Page 285 / Erik Levi, ‎Malcolm MacDonald · 1996

Tjeknavorian's bravura here is borne out by brilliant strings and brass as well as an alarmingly vivid national percussion section . the Khachaturian Violin Concerto , a shambling monster with a sackful of good tunes .

With the possible exception of children's concerts, I believe that the flutist should limit the program to works written for the flute. That includes, of course, baroque trio sonatas in which flutes, recorders, oboes, and violins are more or less interchangeable on the treble lines. As the subtitle of Frans Vester's catalog, 10,000 Titles, suggests,, there is a lot of music from which to choose. Most tran- scriptions for flute are second-rate, not because the music is bad (it's often superb) but simply because the flute cannot realize the full potential of the composition. The character of the music gets lost in transcription. Some prime examples are Rampal's transcriptions of the Khachaturian Violin Concerto (even though he had the composer's blessing) and Cesar Franck's Violin Sonata, and Galway's transcrip- tion of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. In all of these pieces, one misses the power of the violin bow, the strings' facility for double-stopping, and the implicit qualities of string tone for which those pieces were written. The flute does, indeed, have many timbral and expressive capabilities, but it simply is not a violin and should not try to imitate it.[7]

Khachaturian, who composed the Violin Concerto in D minor, op. 46 in 1945, wrote: "when in 1940 I began to conceive the concerto my head was full of the sound of Oistrakh's violin," to whom he dedicated the work. The concerto is in three movements (Allegro con fermezza, Andante Sostenuto and Allegro vivace) and is characterized by the employment of elements of Russian character, such as the presence of particular rhythmic patterns and melodic designs that exhibit intense emotional and expressive energy.

Just shy of a century later, in Soviet Russia, the Armenian-Russian composer Aram Khachaturian composed his only Violin Concerto, a masterpiece of creative assimilation. Armenian folk riffs, slippery harmonies, and sturdy folk rhythms re-invigorate classical conventions. The Violin Concerto’s harmonic language screams late Romanticnationalist; there is nothing remotely modern about it. Unlike many violin concertos, Khachaturian’s doesn’t sacrifice musicality at the altar of technical proficiency. The work holds up even without its lead instrument: a 1968 arrangement by celebrity flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal remains a staple of the flute virtuoso’s 20th-century repertoire.

Though Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto remains on the fringes of the concert repertoire, it has fared well both in the quantity and quality of its recordings. This latest one comes from the German–Brazilian violinist Nicolas Koeckert, who finds more lyrical beauty in the first movement than most other performers in the catalogue. I particularly enjoy his relaxed approach to the cadenza and the lazy sensuality he brings to the swaying music that opens the central Andante. The wide mood changes there are well handled, and his unhurried approach makes a perfect foil for the brilliance of the finale. Although the music often sits awkwardly under the fingers, Koeckert fills it with technical brilliance and uncommon clarity of articulation.

The particular élan that characterizes Aram Khachaturian's concerti has no doubt contributed to their continued popularity, and indeed, the Violin Concerto (1940) takes a place among the staples of the twentieth century violin repertoire. The concerto bears the unmistakable stamp of its composer in its characteristic rhythmic drive and rich, folk-infused melodies. The first movement begins with a fierce, energetic figure, played in unison, that eventually evolves into the rustically lyrical second subject. The intoxicating Andante sostenuto second movement, redolent of the undulating, gradually unfolding style of ashugs (Armenian folk musicians), has a free-flowing, semi-improvisatory feel. Based largely on material from the first movement's secondary theme, the highly folk-influenced finale takes the form of a vigorous Armenian country dance in which the solo violin figures prominently with unrelenting, fiery virtuosity. Khachaturian wrote the Violin Concerto for David Oistrakh, the dedicatee of so many mid-century Russian violin concerti. Oistrakh was the soloist at the work's premiere on November 16, 1940.

newspapers

In it, Khachaturian skillfully exploits the violin's technical and expressive capabilities, drawing thematic material from the folk music of his native Russia, augmenting it with exotic Oriental tapestries hinting of bistros and belly dancers.

The first movement (Allegro con fermezza - "with firmness") was distinguished by brilliant and dazzling technical forays on the part of Piskunov; and by flawless cadenzas, first by the violinist and the virtuoso solo clarinet, Richard Waller (in the familiar coloratura-and-flute vein), and finally by the soloist alone.
In the second movement (Andante sostenuto), the violonists and the entire string ensemble sent forth lushness of sound ranging from the ethereally light to the darkly sensual. I loved this movement, it was clear that the orchestra and so- lost loved playing it and, for the musician, no more joyous rapport than this exists. At the end, the haunting question of that fading leading tone remained: sensitive, unresolved, faintly disquieting . . and beautiful.
The finale (Allegro vivace), brought forth paeans of gratitude for all performers: soloist, conductor, and orchestra. Brilliant, scintil- lasting, precise technique, aided and abetted by a thwackingly good and equally exact accompanyment. The question ending the Andante was given a triple-exclamation-point after- mative answer by the last note of the piece. Piskunov seems, as do so many young (and not-so-young) artists, to exult in being blessed with a blazing tech- unique: he had (along with the orchestra) sheer un- trammeled fun playing this joyful movement.

Sunday Herald 7 Apr 1957[8]

Any recording of Khachaturian's Violin Concerto which does not employ an Oistrakh as the soloist labors under a handicap. Father and son, these Russian virtuosi have made the composition almost a family possession, However, London has just issued a version with Ruggiero Ricci and the Long- don Philharmonic Orchestra under Anatole Fistoulari (LL-1537) that offers estimable fiddling, solid orchestral playing, exceptional recording and a fresh point of view.

The Sydney Morning Herald 4 May 1986[9] "its catchy folk rhythms and sinuous melodies"

The Sydney Morning Herald 12 Oct 1978[10]

"The soloist, Valery Klimov, gave an utterly masterful and authoritative account of his dominant share in the concerto, which begins with stamping vigour and explores whimsical dance measures in the finale but reveals its character most convincingly in many lyrical passages of a sweet melancholy, recalling Borodin."

James Ehnes, violinist; Melbourne Symphony Orchestra; Ehnes Quartet The Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian composed his Violin Concerto for David Oistrakh. James Ehnes conveys its lighthearted mood, folk elements and virtuosic passages with sweet tone and technical aplomb, deftly accompanied by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the conductor Mark Wigglesworth.

https://bachtrack.com/review-boriso-glebsky-markovic-bournemouth-symphony-poole-april-2015 Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto in D minor has similar qualities to his Spartacus ballet music in its lyricism and drama with some fine melodic writing for the instrument (being clearly influenced by Armenian folk music). The young and exceptionally gifted violinist, Nikita Boriso-Glebsky, who rose to fame after winning both the International Jean Sibelius Violin and International Fritz Kreisler competitions in 2010, treated us to a truly remarkable performance. The rhythmic power and energy of the first movement was captured to perfection by Glebsky and the orchestra alike, surmounting the dashing twists and turns in the scoring with ease, in a performance which held the audience rapt. The more luxurious, Armenian folksong flavouring of the second theme was enjoyed to the full by Glebsky whose virtuosity and skill were truly awesome.

The second movement Andante sostenuto is a showcase of Khachaturian’s melodic writing. Glebsky’s playing was both passionate and heartfelt, squeezing the very most from the music’s rich Armenian exoticism, whilst still being of featherweight delicacy when required. Marković led the BSO in a vigorous and energetic Armenian dance in the Allegro vivace, a movement of furious energy and rowdy abandonment. Glebsky’s playing was jaunty and playful throughout with incredible clarity being maintained even in the intricate solo part-writing. All in all, a stellar performance.

https://www.thestrad.com/improve-your-playing/arabella-steinbacher-on-khachaturians-violin-concerto/7241.article https://www.thestrad.com/playing-hub/khachaturians-violin-concerto-is-physically-demanding-nemanja-radulovi/16239.article

https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v39/n01/james-meek/refugees-from-the-past He doesn’t like Soviet orchestral music:

At three a.m. I was walking the floor and listening to Khachaturian working in a tractor factory. He called it a violin concerto. I called it a loose fan belt and the hell with it.

Raymond Chandler: The Long Goodbye (novel) https://archive.ph/aTvJa https://twitter.com/AbstractTruth/status/985688651433693184

Robert Layton opined that to "dismiss the [concerto] as meretricious is harsh" and said that the "toothsome zigeuner charm it exudes is in its way quite genuine." He wrote that it is "written to entertain."

Andrew Farach-Colton: "Khachaturian’s much-maligned Violin Concerto. She’s not a flashy player, and – let’s face it – this is one of the flashiest of concertos." / "boisterous finale"

Books

https://www.google.am/books/edition/Music_of_the_Soviet_Era_1917_1991/eiolDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Khachaturian:+Violin+Concerto+%22Andante%22&pg=PA114&printsec=frontcover Music of the Soviet Era: 1917-1991 By Levon Hakobian · 2016

Khachaturian's Violin Concerto (1940). ... Khachaturian's masterpiece; especially in fast, virtuoso fragments, such as the dance-like Finale of the Concerto by Myaskovsky with a refrain in Spanish style or the rather heavy fugue in the opening movement of the Concerto by Shebalin, they seem to be rather schematic and constrained. Historically, both works belong to the same academic line in Russian violin music as the Concerto by Glazunov and the Concert Suite by Taneyev. 

[11]

https://books.google.am/books?id=-seWjlH17dsC&pg=PA256&dq=Violin+Concerto+Khachaturian Classical Music: The Rough Guide

https://books.google.am/books?id=25NADwAAQBAJ&pg=PA774&dq=Violin+Concerto+Khachaturian 1001 Classical Recordings You Must Hear Before You Die

https://books.google.am/books?id=eiolDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA114&dq=Violin+Concerto+Khachaturian Music of the Soviet Era: 1917-1991

Kaufman https://books.google.am/books?id=IEmWymaZrfcC&pg=PA189&dq=Violin+Concerto+Khachaturian

journals

Markow, Robert (2022). "Program Notes" (PDF). Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 10, 2022.

https://wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=production&url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=47937000&site=eds-live&scope=site Violin Concerto. Masquerade. Ritter, Steven E. "First a disclaimer: I don’t especially like this Concerto, and consider it rather vapid and insubstantial, though in possession of an undoubted popular appeal. So any recording has to make quite a pitch to impress me, and even the famous Oistrakh doesn’t—there, I’ve said it. If you want to quit reading now, I wouldn’t blame you." Steven E. Ritter

https://wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=production&url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=56949109&site=eds-live&scope=site Piano Concerto; Violin Concerto; Masquerade Suite; Spartacus & Gayne Excerpts; Pictures of Childhood. HANSEN, LAWRENCE

This nicely filled set contains several classics, including the spectacular Violin Concerto by David Oistrakh

Koldys, Mark. American Record Guide. Mar/Apr2005, Vol. 68 Issue 2, p118-119. 2p.

Khachaturian's music is sometimes derided as cheap and obvious; I disagree, particularly when it comes to his two most popular concerttos (piano and violin). They are showy display pieces for the soloists-that was the intent-but Khachaturian gives us more: gorgeous, heartfelt Armenian melodies, dazzling orchestrations, and proliferative excitement. The seductive Andante sostenuto... https://wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=production&url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=16407728&site=eds-live&scope=site

KHACHATURIAN Violin Concerto. SHOSTAKOVICH String Quartets Nos. 7 and 8 • James Ehnes (vn); Mark Wigglesworth, cond; Melbourne SO; Ehnes Qrt • ONYX 4121(69

36)

aram khachaturian’s 1940 violin concerto is one of his best-known works, and one of his finest. this composer was at his best when he could draw upon his armenian ethnic heritage, which he did lavishly in this concerto. without that connection, inspiration could fail him, as in the empty bombast of his Spartacus ballet. An ambitious, large-scale work, lasting 35 or more minutes, the concerto is in contrast filled with gorgeous melody, vivid color, and opportunities for superior violinists to display their skills.

in this concerto, James ehnes faces competition not only from the several recordings by david oistrakh, the work’s dedicatee, but also from such acclaimed contemporary violinists as Julia fischer (pentatone) and sergey khachatryan (no relation, it appears, on naïve). neither he nor the others mentioned match oistrakh’s tonal opulence, but all of their performances are excellent, and it is difficult to choose among them. each one of these violinists is a top-flight technician and more than equal to the demands of the piece. ehnes takes a comparatively relaxed and straightforward approach. he plays beautifully, with refined, perfectly centered tone and a reserved eloquence. his vibrato is varied, well controlled, and never excessive. tempos are well integrated. fischer and khachatryan, in their different ways, offer greater intensity and more variety of tone, tempo, and dynamics, but ehnes’s playing stands out for refinement and sheer beauty, and connoisseurs of the violin cannot fail to be captivated by artistry of this order. the australian orchestra, under the steady leadership of Mark wigglesworth, plays proficiently for ehnes, if without the degree of detail and color provided by fischer’s russian national orchestra or khachatryan’s sinfonia varsovia. aside from a slight opacity in the orchestral texture, ehnes’s performance is recorded in very good sound, with excellent balance between soloist and orchestra.

rather than taking the obvious route of coupling the khachaturian work with another concerto, ehnes has chosen to showcase the string quartet he formed in 2010 in performances of two quartets by this composer’s great colleague and contemporary, shostakovich. the other members of the quartet are violinist amy schwartz Moretti, violist richard o’neill, and cellist robert deMaine (the principal cellist of the los angeles philharmonic). this release appears to be the ensemble’s first recording.

Daniel Morrison

Fanfare: The Magazine for Serious Record Collectors. Jan/Feb2015, Vol. 38 Issue 3, p219-539. 321p. Music Review, ISSN: 0148-9364, pp. 363-364 https://wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=production&url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=99673678&site=eds-live&scope=site

KHACHATURIAN

Violin Concerto; SIBELIUS: Concerto (Music). By: French, Gilbert, American Record Guide, 00030716, Nov/Dec2003, Vol. 66, Issue 6

This is the best recording of the Khachaturian I've ever heard, and most of the credit goes to Bakels. He has an exceptional gift for vital upbeat rhythms, the quick-stroked kind that are typical of the Czech Philharmonic playing Czech music. Yet he combines them with a long-lined lyricism where phrases swell and change color and are never flat-lined. In I he has the flexibility to yield in slightly mellower themes, allow room for Rosand to languish a bit in an Armenian-flavored cadenza, and then snap right back to the main tempo. And all this is done with remarkably clear textures and details. For example, the harmonic movement of a subdued bass line intermingles with the underlining of brief motifs so that even the smallest phrase or detail is energized and articulated. https://wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=production&url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=11495587&site=eds-live&scope=site

DUNNETT, RODERIC. Strad. Feb2007, Vol. 118 Issue 1402, p82-82. 1/2p. 2 Color Photographs.

This uplifting performance of Khachaturian's Violin Concerto, one of the undoubted masterpieces of the 20th-century repertoire, comes from musicians associated with the composer's homeland. The Armenian orchestra's playing is stylish and rhythmically finessed, with some especially beguiling woodwind. Eduard Topchjan keeps his forces admirably controlled, allowing space for the violin soloist to shine. There are vibrant and vital passages for the orchestral strings, especially after the soloist's cadenza - launched by an exquisite dialogue with the clarinet - and in the Andante sostenuto, where middle strings play plaintively above pizzicato cellos and double basses. Canadian-born Catherine Manoukian is an eloquent exponent of this appetising work. Her tone is pure, with nicely understated vibrato, and her playing throughout is gorgeously expressive.The gentle lilt of Khachaturian's high-flying melodic lines, not least in the berceuse-like Andante, comes across almost effortlessly, as if the violin were floating on an oriental carpet of air, swayed here and there by gentle breezes, until the spirited finale calls forth a more vigorous tone. All in all, a scintillatingly good performance, splendidly captured. https://wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=production&url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=24099830&site=eds-live&scope=site

Violin Concerto; Concerto Rhapsody. By

FRENCH, American Record Guide, 00030716, Jul/Aug2020, Vol. 83, Issue 4

Khachaturian's style—a mix of melancholy, folk dance, and repetitive patterns that are constantly varied. https://wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=production&url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=144291019&site=eds-live&scope=site

Reviews

CDs. By: Kurzbauer, Heather, Strad, 00392049, Mar98, Vol. 109, Issue 1295

Khachaturian

Violin Concerto in D major; Dance in B flat major op.1* Miaskovsky: Violin Concerto In D minor op.44

The rhythmic quirks of the Allegro vivace folk festival that is part and parcel of the third movement of Khatchaturian's Concerto and the melancholy underlying harmonies of its soulful Andante sostenuto have yet to be improved upon in subsequent recordings by a distinguished array of artists. https://wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=production&url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=346057&site=eds-live&scope=site

KHACHATURIAN Violin Concerto. BARBER Violin Concerto. Adagio for Strings.

Listeners, however fascinated by the violin's winding, chant-like meanderings (occasionally taking the form of slides and drone-like accompaniments to dissonances) in this solo passage, may still wonder how well it all fits into Khachaturian's harmonic and mélodie fabric. But in the end, as in Igor Oistrakh's performance, the rhythmic vitalify carries the day. The slow movement sounds both ardent and plaintive (again, as it did in Igor's performance, although in this reading with more sharply detailed filigree, while Kristjan Järvi and the orchestra create a more ominous sense of brooding in the orchestral passages), and the engineers have captured a great deal of detail underlying the splashes of color. Simonyan bites harder into the finale's quirky main theme, and he plays the notes that shift octaves with the offiiand nonchalance of a folk fiddler. But he belts the movement's big theme on the G String with the assurance of an orator. https://wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=production&url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=73894837&site=eds-live&scope=site

Khachaturian

Violin Concerto in D minor (1940); Concerto-Rhapsody in B flat minor for Violin and Orchestra (1961).

the instantaneously attractive melodic character of the D minor Concerto, but it is certainly worth hearing – especially in such a fine performance as this. The 1940 Concerto was written for David Oistrakh, who actually composed almost all of the lengthy first-movement cadenza, and who gave the first performance of the work under Alexander Gauk towards the end of that year in a programme that began with the first performance of Miaskovsky’s 21st Symphony (written for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s 50th anniversary season), and ended with the first performance of scenes from Yuri Shaporin’s as then unfinished opera The Decembrists. Oistrakh went on to make many recordings of the Concerto https://wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=production&url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=42737469&site=eds-live&scope=site Musical Opinion. Jul/Aug2009, Vol. 132 Issue 1471, p42-42. 3/4p.

Violin Concerto./Violin Concerto No. 1.

Maxham, Robert. Fanfare

The Magazine for Serious Record Collectors. Jan/Feb2008, Vol. 31 Issue 3, p162-162. 2/3p.

The first violinist I heard playing Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto, Igor Oistrakh, approached the almost garish work very differently from the way his father had. David, who recorded it in the studio with Gauk and Khachaturian himself, had invested it with his rich-toned moral earnestness; Igor’s performance sounded like quicksilver beside it: light and rhythmically piquant. (Kogan, though also knife-edged, played with more aggression and tonal weight.) Catherine Manoukian, who in her notes takes the rhyme of the composer’s and her last names almost as a sort of humorous coincidence, comes closer—except in the first movement’s cadenza—to Oistrakh père than to Oistrakh fils, energizing the motoric opening motive with tangy rhythmic drive, but tingeing its sinuous second theme with wistful nostalgia. Topchjan’s and the orchestra’s brisk accompaniment helps maintain her strong momentum. In her notes, Manoukian remarks that she had chosen to underplay the work; the similarity to Igor Oistrakh’s performance therefore may not be coincidental. Nevertheless, in the second movement, Manoukian immerses (though doesn’t lose) herself in Khachaturian’s meandering exoticism and allows her tone to expand appropriately to lend urgency to her musings. Like Igor Oistrakh’s, Manoukian’s reading of the last movement keeps its quirky little theme fresh through its many appearances and contrasts it effectively with the more ardent episodes. https://wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=production&url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=27600648&site=eds-live&scope=site

References

Notes

Citations