Samuel Barber (Violin Concerto)

1939 - One of the great twentieth-century concertos for violin was put to paper by Samuel Barber at the behest of American businessman Samuel Simeon Fels.  The piece was to be performed by one of Barber's fellow graduates from the Curtis Institute, Iso Briselli.  The whole episode leading up to the expected performance has been the subject of some confusion.  Ultimately, the work received its first official public performance with Albert Spalding as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Ormandy.

The music is so well-known among concert music lovers that it needs little description here.

I. Allegro
II. Andante - 11:00
III. Presto in moto perpetuo - 20:28

For a fuller review of the details above and the piece itself, check out the Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin_...)

This particular performance is by Elmar Oliveira (violin) and the Saint Louis Symphony, Leonard Slatkin conducting.  The recording includes Howard Hanson's second symphony on the EMI label: https://www.amazon.com/Hanson-Symphon...
There's also a double-disc set with the same recording along with several other works by Barber, also from EMI.

Black and white photography by Gyula Halász Brassaï (1899-1984)

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