Edward Elgar’s Violin Concerto in B minor, Opus 61 was composed between 1909 and 1910 and dedicated to the violinist Fritz Kreisler.
As the scheduled first performance of the concerto neared, Elgar recruited his family and the local violinist John Austin to help him copy his earlier musical ideas for the work into the final manuscript. Despite the pace of production, Elgar took the time to mark exactly how he wanted the violin solo to be played.
The premiere of the violin concerto took place on 10 November 1910 at the Queen’s Hall in London, opening the 99th season of the Philharmonic Society. Fritz Kreisler was the soloist with Elgar conducting the performance. The reception was extraordinary, with contemporary reviews describing the concerto as being ‘artistic in the highest sense of the term’.
Here is violinist Pinchas Zukerman to perform this music for you:
