Violin Concerto No. 1 (Piston)
Walter Piston's Concerto No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra was written in 1939 and dedicated to violinist Ruth Posselt.[1] On the 18th of March 1940, Posselt, backed by the National Orchestral Association under Léon Barzin gave the first performance at Carnegie Hall.[2]
Amongst the audience was composer Benjamin Britten, who is quoted as telling Aaron Copland, "there was no composer in England of Piston’s age who could turn out anything so expert.”[1]
Structure
The work is in three movements:
- Allegro energico
- Andantino molto tranquillo
- Allegro con spirito
A typical performance will last around 25 minutes.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Oja, Carol J. (29 March 2011). "American Symphony Orchestra - Concert Notes: Walter Piston (1894–1976)". American Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved March 2013.
- ↑ Ledin, Victor; Ledin, Marina. "Liner Notes to Naxos 8.559003 (Piston: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 / Fantasia for Violin)". Retrieved March 2013.
Further reading
- Davis, Rachelle Marie. 2004. "Walter Piston's Concerto No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra: Thematic and Motivic Transformation, Style, and Violinistic Issues". DMA dissertation. Austin: University of Texas. ISBN 0-496-74348-1.