The Double Concerto in A minor (Op. 102) by Johannes Brahms is a concerto for violin, cello and orchestra.

[edit] Origin of the work

Composed in the summer of 1887, and first performed on 18 October of that year^[1], it was Brahms' final work for orchestra. Brahms, approaching the project with anxiety over writing for instruments that were not his own,^[2] wrote it for the cellist Robert Hausmann^[3] and his old estranged friend, the violinist Joseph Joachim. The concerto was, in part, a gesture of reconciliation towards Joachim, after their long friendship had ruptured following Joachim's divorce from his wife Amalie.^[4] Brahms had sided with Amalie in the dispute, and this led to the estrangement between Brahms and Joachim. The Double Concerto acted as a form of musical reconciliation.^[5] The concerto also makes use of the musical motif A-E-F, a permutation of F-A-E, which stood for a personal motto of Joachim, frei aber einsam ("free but lonely").^[6]

[edit] Structure

The composition consists of three movements in the fast-slow-fast pattern typical of classical instrumental concertos:

1. Allegro (A minor)
2. Andante (D major)
3. Vivace non troppo (A minor → A major)

[edit] Performance and criticism

Joachim and Hausmann repeated the concerto, with Brahms at the podium, several times in its initial 1887-88 season, and Brahms gave the manuscript to Joachim, with the inscription "To him for whom it was written." Clara Schumann reacted unfavourably to the concerto, considering the work "not brilliant for the instruments".^[7] Richard Specht also thought critically of the concerto, describing it as "one of Brahms' most inapproachable and joyless compositions". Brahms had sketched a second concerto for violin and cello but destroyed his notes in the wake of its cool reception. Later critics have warmed to it: Donald Francis Tovey wrote of the concerto as having "vast and sweeping humour".^[8] It has always been hampered by its requirement for two brilliant and equally matched soloists.

[edit] Scholarly discussion

Richard Cohn has included the first movement of this concerto in his detailed discussion of various composers' use of triadic progressions.^[9] Cohn has also analysed such progressions mathematically.^[10]

[edit] Some notable recorded partnerships

• Jacques Thibaud and Pablo Casals, Pau Casals Orchestra Barcelona cond. Alfred Cortot (1929).^[11]
• Jascha Heifetz and Emanuel Feuermann, Philadelphia Orchestra cond. Eugene Ormandy (1939).^[12]
• Adolf Busch and Herman Busch, French National Radio Orchestra cond. Paul Kletzki (live Strasbourg 1949).^[13]
• Georg Kulenkampff and Enrico Mainardi, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande cond. Carl Schuricht (1947).^[14]
• Nathan Milstein and Gregor Piatigorsky, Philadelphia Robin Hood Dell Orchestra cond. Fritz Reiner (1951).^[15]
• Jascha Heifetz and Gregor Piatigorsky, RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra cond. Alfred Wallenstein.^[16]
• Gioconda de Vito and Amadeo Baldovino,^[17] Philharmonia Orchestra cond. Rudolf Schwarz (1952).^[18]
• Jean Fournier and Antonio Janigro,^[19] Vienna State Opera Orchestra cond. Hermann Scherchen.^[20]
• Alfredo Campoli and André Navarra, Hallé Orchestra cond. John Barbirolli.^[21]
• Josef Suk and André Navarra, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Karel Ančerl (c.1963).^[22]
• Willi Boskowsky and Emanuel Brabec,^[23] Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Wilhelm Furtwängler (1950 live recording).^[24]
• Wolfgang Schneiderhan and Enrico Mainardi,^[25] Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Karl Böhm.^[26]
• Wolfgang Schneiderhan and Janos Starker, Orchestra of Radio-Symphonie Berlin cond. Ferenc Fricsay.^[27]
• Henryk Szeryng and Janos Starker, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra cond. Bernard Haitink.^[28]
• Emmy Verhey and Janos Starker, Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Arpad Joó.^[29]
• Isaac Stern and Leonard Rose, Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of New York cond. Bruno Walter.^[30]
• Isaac Stern and Yo-Yo Ma, Chicago Symphony Orchestra cond. Claudio Abbado.^[31]
• Gidon Kremer and Mischa Maisky, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Leonard Bernstein.^[32]
• David Oistrakh and Pierre Fournier, Philharmonia Orchestra cond. Alceo Galliera.^[33]
• David Oistrakh and Mstislav Rostropovitch, Cleveland Orchestra cond. George Szell.^[34]
• David Oistrakh and Mstislav Rostropovitch, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Kyrill Kondrashin (live 1963).^[35]
• Salvatore Accardo and Siegfried Palm,^[36] Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma della RTV Italiana cond Bruno Maderna (live 1961 Milan).^[37]
• Zino Francescatti and Samuel H. Mayes,^[38] Boston Symphony Orchestra cond. Charles Münch (live rec. April 1956)^[39]
• Zino Francescatti and Pierre Fournier, Chicago Symphony Orchestra cond. Bruno Walter.^[40]
• Zino Francescatti and Pierre Fournier, BBC Symphony Orchestra cond. Colin Davis.^[41]
• Christian Ferras and Paul Tortelier, Philharmonia Orchestra cond. Paul Kletzki.^[42]
• Yehudi Menuhin and Paul Tortelier, London Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Paavo Berglund (1984).^[43]
• Yehudi Menuhin and Maurice Gendron, London Symphony Orchestra cond. Istvan Kertesz (Bath Festival 1964).^[44]
• Yehudi Menuhin and Leslie Parnas,^[45] Casals Festival Orchestra cond. Pablo Casals (1969).^[46]
• Yan Pascal Tortelier and Paul Tortelier, BBC Symphony Orchestra cond. John Pritchard (1974).^[47]
• Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma, Chicago Symphony Orchestra cond. Daniel Barenboim.^[48]
• Vadim Repin and Truls Mørk, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra cond. Riccardo Chailly.^[49]

[edit] Media

	Concerto in A minor, Op. 102 'Double Concerto' - I. Allegro Performed by the Skidmore College Orchestra. Courtesy of Musopen Concerto in A minor, Op. 102 'Double Concerto' - II. Andante Performed by the Skidmore College Orchestra. Courtesy of Musopen Concerto in A minor, Op. 102 'Double Concerto' - III. Vivace non Troppo Performed by the Skidmore College Orchestra. Courtesy of Musopen
Problems listening to these files? See media help.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• History of the Double Concerto
• Adaptation of the work as a Cello Concerto
• Andrews University Symphony Orchestra, November 13, 1999 notes
• Double Concerto: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project.

[edit] See also

• Double Concerto for Violin and Cello

v • d • e Concertos by Johannes Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15 · Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83 · Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 · Double Concerto for Violin and Cello in A minor, Op. 102 List of compositions by Johannes Brahms