Titans

The soloist is said to have received his sheet music from the great master Ludwig van Beethoven less than 48 hours before the premiere. No wonder the premiere did not go so well and Beethoven's only violin concerto initially disappeared into music-historical oblivion. In contrast, we experience the American virtuoso Gil Shaham perfectly prepared with this crown jewel, which has shaped the history of violin literature like no other. What Beethoven rapidly put down on paper in just a few weeks went beyond the ideas of form and sound of the time. How much more than purely athletic soloist bravura there is in these three movements: A joint, almost symphonic journey of violin and orchestra. From the enigmatic, electrifying opening to a lyrical meditation and an energetic finale.

It is easy to understand why Johannes Brahms found the radical genius of Beethoven to be an almost overwhelming role model, an intimidating monument for eternity. You want to pat Brahms on the back and shout: "Cheer up, there are legendary gems from your pen that still make audiences cheer today!" For example, when the Hamburg-born composer lives out his penchant for snappy Hungarian gypsy melodies. As in the final movement Rondo alla Zingarese of his Opus 25, the orchestral luxury version of this piano quartet was composed by Arnold Schönberg himself. His very personal assessment of this masterpiece: "Unfortunately not by me!"
Incidentally, the Hungarian violin legend Joseph Joachim, who was the first to hold Brahms' piano quartet in his hands, is the same Joseph Joachim who, at the tender age of 12, brought Ludwig van Beethoven's previously neglected violin concerto back into the limelight of the music world under the direction of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Coincidences do happen ...