Violin Concerto No. 1 (Bartók)

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Béla Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 1, BB 48a was written around the years 1907–1908, but only published in 1956, after the composer's death. It was premiered in May 30, 1958 in Basel, Switzerland. It strays from the path of the traditional concerto, having two rather than three movements:

Andante sostenuto
Allegro giocoso

Bartók had planned a third movement, but never wrote it.

Bartók used the Andante as the first of the Two Portraits op. 5.

The concerto was dedicated, as was Othmar Schoeck's concerto for the same instrument, to the violinist Stefi Geyer, with whom Bartók was in love. Geyer could not reciprocate Bartók's feelings and rejected the concerto. Both kept copies locked in a drawer. It was revived after both Bartók and Geyer had died. Geyer's copy of the manuscript was bequeathed to Paul Sacher to be performed by him and Hans-Heinz Schneeberger. The concerto was later championed by David Oistrakh, the luscious-toned Soviet violinist. Acclaimed recordings include Oistrakh with Rozhdestvensky conducting for opulent romanticism, Vengerov for virtuosic fire, and Pauk for authenticity. For many years, Isaac Stern with Bernstein conducting was the classic recording.