Violin and Piano (Violin)
SKU: HL.14004213
Composed by Lennox
Berkeley. Music Sales
America. Classical. Book
[Softcover]. Composed
2002. 56 pages. Chester
Music #CH55778. Published
by Chester Music
(HL.14004213).
9.0x12.0x0.175
inches.
Five Pieces
for Violin and Orchestra
was commissioned by
Frederick Grinke and
completed on 20 December
1961. The BBC Symphony
Orchestra with Frederick
Grinke (violin) and
conducted by the
composer, gave the first
performance on 31 July
1962 at the Royal Albert
Hall, London during the
BBC Proms season. This
work is so constructed
that each piece is
complete in itself and
can be played separately,
while at the same time
the whole set of five
constitutes a structural
unit. A basic motif
consisting of a rising
semitone followed by a
falling tone, and its
inversion plays an
important part in every
piece. Thus the first
piece, which is of a slow
and meditative character,
begins with this theme in
the bass. It is also
heard in the first entry
of the solo part, and
thereafter every episode
is in some way derived
from it. The next piece,
a vigorous and strongly
marked 'allegro', uses
the semitone of the
original figure as its
starting point. A second
theme appears, first on
the horns and is later
taken up by the solo
violin, while a third
section has the initial
idea as its
accompaniment. Next comes
an extended scherzo in
free form very closely
based on initial motif.
The fourth is a purely
melodic piece containing
allusions in its middle
section to the basic
figure. Here the strings
only are used for
accompaniment. In the
first section, violas and
cellos are divided in the
middle section, and all
the strings are used in
the last, which is
otherwise an almost exact
repetition of the
opening. The Finale is a
lighter movement than the
others, concerned mainly
with giving the soloist
material for display, but
not unconnected with what
has gone before.
Lennox Berkeley
