Greatest Violin Concerto

[Morn 8]

Mine is Prokofiev's 1st.

[Figo 2]

Now, Morn -- do you want "greatest" (as specified in the topic heading) or "favourite" (as specified in the poll)? There really is a difference.

Whichever the case, I chose Tchaikovsky, although Lord only knows why. I guess it's because I used to love the piece so goddam much, although these days I hardly listen to it. Still, I think there is a timelessness about it that makes it "great." If we are going for classicism, though, it's Beethoven, hands down.

Personally, I would be more likely to opt for the Elgar or the Stravinsky nowadays, although without Sibelius your list is conspicuously lacking. I am also crazy about the concerto of Samuel Barber. Where are Bruch and Mendelssohn, two of the most popular works of all time? Viewed objectively (and without the tired philosophical bullshit about the impossiblity of there being such a thing), it's all a matter of apples and oranges. Bach, Beethoven, and Bartok are all completely different.

Incidentally, I prefer Prokofiev's 2nd to the 1st. Given that we are all lovers of film music, I am surprised also to note the absence of Korngold and Rozsa.

[Dr. Know 326]

John Williams Rules! But the Brahms violin concerto is one of the most sumptuous, gorgeous pieces of music ever written.

[Morn 8]

Dammit, I forgot those, and I was even listening to them the other day!

I'll add them to the list

And greatest, favourite. Well when I wrote greatest I really ment from your perspective, rather than the technical greatest.

[Figo 2]

The Brahms is a great piece. It's impossible to choose. All in all, the choices are stupid.

[Morn 8]

What options would you pick then?

And I choose Prokofiev's 1st more for the beautiful last movement.

[Dr. Know 326]

Also, the Samuel Barber violin concerto is not bad (actually, its also stunningly beautiful!)

[Figo 2]

Hey! No fair adding Korngold and Rozsa AFTER I already chose! Oh well, neither of them are the greatest anyway -- but they are both better than Williams' efforts in the form. So, for that matter, is William Walton.

And Morn, whether from a technical perpective or no, there is a difference between "favourite" and "greatest." In the future, for the sake of accuracy, please try to make an effort to be more precise!

[Figo 2]

What options would you pick then?

That depends.

For "greatest," I would definitely add Mendelssohn, Bruch (No. 1), Sibelius, Shostakovich, and perhaps even Walton.

For "favourite," Korngold, Barber, Glazunov, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Walter Piston, Roy Harris, Feruccio Busoni, Othmar Schoeck, Hans Pfitzner, Arnold Bax, Lars-Erik Larsson, Tor Aulin, even Philip Glass (who I otherwise hate).

Of course, that's a very personal list (that's why it's called "favourite"). I don't really expect anyone else to embrace Schoeck, Pfitzner, and Bax, although the music is lovely.

[Marian Schedenig 8,176]

I like Schumann's concerto, but that's not on the list. And I'd really like to hear Sibelius'.

Marian - who doesn't know enough violin concertos to pick one from the list.

[Morn 8]

Dammit, I love Shostakovich's Violin Concerto, pity I missed it.

[Figo 2]

I thought you didn't like Shostakovich? He wrote two of them, by the way.

Marian, I am surprised you know the Schumann and not the Sibelius. The latter is played all the time (and would have been my choice, had it been on the list, and had we been asked unequivocally to choose our "favourites"), but the Schumann, surprisingly, is quite rare.

[Morn 8]

Well, I don't like his symphonies that much. But I love his 1st Violin Concerto, it's so dark. I love dark! He did a 2nd? I shall have to get that! But perhaps if I payed more attention to his symphonies, they would grow on me.

[Figo 2]

How can you not like his symphonies, if you love DARK????????

[Marian Schedenig 8,176]

Marian, I am surprised you know the Schumann and not the Sibelius.

I have the Schumann on one CD coupled with his piano concerto, that's why I know it. Perhaps I've heard the Sibelius, but I don't know it consciously (yet).

Marian - who noticed that Penderecki will conduct Shostakovich's 6th symphony in Vienna next year.

[Sandor 796]

AAaahhhhhh!!! I can't believe this!!!

How come no one mentioned BRUCH'S FIRST VIOLIN CONCERTO?!

It's one of THE greatest musical pieces of all time and without a shadow of a doubt the best violin concerto EVER!

IMO ofcourse.

Bye,

Roald

[Mari 279]

I voted for Tchaikovsky as my favorite. I love my Heifetz CD containing both the Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn Concertos! I am unfamiliar with a few of the selections though so my vote is subject to change. Other favorites include Williams (of course), Mendelssohn, Sibelius, and Bruch.

[bruckhorn 105]

How can you not like [schostakovich's] symphonies, if you love DARK????????

Jim Svejda [sic?] described Schostakovich's Sixth Symphony as "music to go out and shoot yourself by." Is that dark enough for you?

As for the Vln Cto, gotta go with the big dog, Beethoven. The Perlman recording. The only concert I have ever walked out of was a performance of it. The soloist substituted his own cadenza (while not unacceptable, was a fat cry from Beethoven's) and the conductor took the third movement at a snail's pace. Quite awful.

As far as Tchaikovsky's: yeah I like it, but Conti using it to win himself an Oscar for Original Score for The Right Stuff soured me on the piece. I know, I know, it's not Piotr's fault, but still...

Hmmm... No mention of Paganini. Would Bruch's "Scottish Fantasy" be considered a Violin Concerto? And back to the idea of dark music: Nane's "Rhapsodie Pathetique". Just tossing some things into the popper.

Bruckhorn

[Morn 8]

Jim Svejda [sic?] described Schostakovich's Sixth Symphony as "music to go out and shoot yourself by." Is that dark enough for you?

Not sad dark, dramatic dark I like sad dark too though

[Omen II 1,235]

Of the concertos that I have heard by John Williams, the violin concerto is the one I like best. It does sound quite a lot like Walter Piston's second violin concerto in places.

Dvorak's violin concerto is pretty good too (I saw Sarah Chang play it last year), especially the slow movement. Those of you who like Sibelius may want to check out Rautavaara's and Nielsen's efforts for the fiddle. They are both absolutely Norse-some!!!

Damien

[Figo 2]

I hate to say it, but Roald has a valid beef. The Bruch concerto (No. 1) is the most conspicuous absence from this list, along with perhaps the Mendelssohn. Classic FM (England) took a poll among its listeners not so very long ago, and the Bruch was chosen the most popular piece of classical music -- which I doubt is the reality, but that's how the numbers came up.

I actually met Rautavaara once, at the world premiere of one of his symphonies. He's in his seventies now, and his wife is something like 30, blonde and gorgeous. Way to go, Einojuhani! I have a picture of the two of us around here somewhere. If only I had one of those newfangled scanners, I could post it. I am smiling so broadly I look like T-Rex.

Dvorak and Nielsen are good recommendations. If you like Brahms, you'll definitely like the Dvorak. And how about Karl Goldmark? He's coming back into fashion. Too bad about Sibelius, though. That would have been my choice.

[ocelot 508]

How can Mendelssohn npot be on there, I would have chosen that, since it wasn't I go for Tchaikovsky ever so slightly over Korngold, brahms and Walton.

[Morn 8]

The list is fulled with my favourites. Ones not on it I either don't like or don't have

[Jamesyboy 3]

No Shostakovich??? What's up?? His violin concertos are amazing...(his cello concerto's aren't bad either)

Jamesyboy - who loves Shostakovich's music..ask Hitch

[Morn 8]

I forgot Shostakovich I do love his Violin Concerto though.

[Figo 2]

As far as Tchaikovsky's [concerto goes]: yeah I like it, but Conti using it to win himself an Oscar for Original Score for The Right Stuff soured me on the piece.

Did Conti really win for this? By gum, you're right! That's a sin. The proper credit should have been "arranged by." I just watched the film again last night. What a great movie! I wish they would still make 'em like that. (Hard to believe it was released nearly 20 years ago.) It has that whole Mythic America quality that makes me love the original "Superman" (1978) so well. Sam Shepherd rules! Also, the effects aren't bad -- pretty good, in fact -- so the experience further cements my previous thoughts on the use of CGI. Could the reason that some of you prefer computer effects to models be that you were too young to see these films on the big screen? They never play as well on television, but few elements of film are best appreciated in that manner.

The score is a shambles, adequate at best. More like a silent movie, with blatant cribs all over the place. In the first few minutes there is none-too-subtle variation on Holst's "Jupiter." (You can't have a movie about space without SOMETHING lifted from "The Planets.") Later, as Scott Glenn's rocket lifts off, there is a medley of "Mars," "Jupiter," and "Neptune." At least this is acknowledged in the end credits (actually patched together from a recording by Ozawa and the Boston Symphony), as is Handel's overexposed "Hallelujah Chorus." However, Rheinhold Gliere's "Russian Sailor's Dance," used note for note, is not. Nor is Tchaikovsky. The main theme is taken from the autumn portion of Glazunov's "The Seasons" (also uncredited) which Conti dovetails with one of the themes from the first movement of the Tchaikovsky concerto. In a movie about the space race, in which the United States' evil nemesis is Russia, I find it ironic that most of the heroism is underlined by music of the Russian masters!

A prime specimen of that rare breed -- a great movie with a very lame score. Conti is a world-class bonehead. Then again, I didn't see the He-Man movie, so perhaps I should reserve judgment.

[Morn 8]

Conti is a cheesy hack! One of my least fav composers.

[Figo 2]

Did anyone else see the remake of "The Thomas Crown Affair?" I don't know which was more hilarious, Conti's score or Pierce Brosnan's body. The man (Brosnan) has the chest of a seventy year-old.

Figo, flexing his pecs and making the little hula girls dance.

[Chris ChrusherComix 46]

I never listen to Conti's scores except his Rocky ones, so I can't speak for any but those. But his work in the Rocky series is very good. And the ending of that film is scored as perfectly as any film I have ever seen. One of the finest and most moving moments I have ever seen in a movie.

[Morn 8]

I have only heard the cheesy 70s main theme, I have no will to hear any more of it

[Chris ChrusherComix 46]

D'OH!

Do yourself a favor and watch Rocky (the first one). The fight and the overall finale of the film is utterly magnificent and the music is beautifully fitting! The sequels were less and less critically acclaimed (although I still liked them), but the 1st one is what I'm talking about.

And I imagine you heard the Fanfare For Rocky, which isn't what I'm talking about (I know that version is pretty cheesy 70's. It was better done in the sequels).

[bruckhorn 105]

For you Rocky fans, check out Empire Brass' Royal Brass CD. On it are two 15th Century Fanfares, the opening of one of them sounds nearly note for note the same as Fanfare for Rocky. An audio clip is available on Amazon.com.

Granted, I knew that Conti was my elder, I just didn't realize just how old he is.

bruckhorn.

[Chris ChrusherComix 46]

Is "Going The Distance" and "The Final Bell" ripped-off classics as well? I'd want to hear those!

(And BTW, I think that I'm one of the only Rocky fans here :oops: ...

[Mari 279]

(And BTW, I think that I'm one of the only Rocky fans here  :oops: ...

I also love the first Rocky movie (and music) and even the second one had its good moments.

[EvanED 1]

I just (re-)discovered the Bach double converto in D minor... it's not on your list though (I don't think; the Bach 1 and Bach 2 are A minor and E major, and for one violin, right?).

Anyway, the Bach double quickly became my favorite Bach piece, even over ( ) the cello suites.

(I just played the Bruch not too long ago; I don't have a recording of it or I'd upload it; along with the Tibet thing, and the Star Wars thing, and whatever else I've said I'd upload but haven't...)

[Figo 2]

I forgot to mention Conti also uses "Clair de Lune" toward the end of "The Right Stuff," and again there is no listing in the credits.

As for "Rocky," the main theme is justifiably famous -- a lot of memorable sequences in that film -- but, even in the '70s, the soundtrack, taken as a whole, sounded VERY cheesy. It worked well with the images, but I was always embarrassed by the concluding procession and fight, even as a kid.

Figo, who thinks all of you who don't know Burgess Meredith should rent "Rocky."

"Cut me, Mick!"