Henri Wieniawski

This is a youthful work by Wieniawski, written when he was just 18. He had begun his brilliant career as a touring virtuoso two years before and composed this concerto for his own purposes, as would be the case with the more popular Concerto No. 2 from 1862. The Concerto No. 1 is cast in three movements, with the first being greater in length than the remaining two combined. It is marked Allegro moderato and opens with the clarinet presenting the stormy, heroic main theme, which is then taken up by the orchestra. A lovely, romantic melody is introduced by the cellos and soon the exposition concludes with abruptness. The violin enters dramatically, then gives its account of the themes, finding much drama in the first and both sweetness and passion in the slower one. The development section features brilliant writing for the violin and orchestral scoring that underscores the heroic aspects of the main theme. A dramatic and effective cadenza precedes the recapitulation. The second movement, "Preghira: Larghetto," is short -- about five minutes -- and features a solemn, somewhat sad theme whose manner sweetens a bit when the violin takes it up after the orchestral presentation. Yet there remains a sense of melancholy here, but a melancholy of yearning, not of loss. The Rondo finale, marked Allegro giocoso, features a folkish main theme playfully rendered by the violin. A lovely, alternate melody of romantic character offers contrast to the vigor of the faster sections and a chance for the violin to sing in its lower ranges. The ending is brilliant and colorful, featuring deftly imagined virtuosic writing for the violin.