The Violin Concerto by the American composer John Adams was written in 1993. Its premiere was on January 19, 1994, by Jorja Fleezanis with the Minnesota Orchestra, conducted by Edo de Waart, at the Ordway Music Theater, Saint Paul, Minnesota.
The piece was co-commissioned by the New York City Ballet. It received the University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition.
The Violin Concerto has been called "the most original approach to the genre since the Alban Berg Concerto".
Structure
The work is in three movements:
It is dedicated to the memory of David Huntley of Boosey & Hawkes.
;Strings
: violin I (minimum 6)
: violin II (minimum 6)
: violas (minimum 5)
: cellos (minimum 5)
: double basses (minimum 2)
Recordings
The first recording was by Gidon Kremer and the London Symphony Orchestra
In 2017 Orchid Classics released a recording (coupled with the Korngold violin concerto), with soloist Ilya Gringolts and the Copenhagen Philharmonic conducted by Santtu-Matias Rouvali.
References
External links
- John Adams on his Violin Concerto Interview from Perspectives of New Music
- Violin Concerto Tech Specs by Mark Grey, sound designer for John Adams