Samuel Barber completed his Violin Concerto, Op. 14, in 1939. It is a work in three movements, lasting about 22 minutes.
In 1939 Philadelphia industrialist Samuel Fels commissioned Barber to write a violin concerto for Fels' adopted son, Iso Briselli, who had graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music the same year as Barber (1934). Barber accepted his advance and went to Switzerland to work on the concerto. The first two movements were present...
more
Samuel Barber completed his Violin Concerto, Op. 14, in 1939. It is a work in three movements, lasting about 22 minutes.
In 1939 Philadelphia industrialist Samuel Fels commissioned Barber to write a violin concerto for Fels' adopted son, Iso Briselli, who had graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music the same year as Barber (1934). Barber accepted his advance and went to Switzerland to work on the concerto. The first two movements were presented to Briselli who was disappointed in the lack of virtuosic displays. Subsequently, following a delay of about 1 year, Barber delivered the third movement, a brilliant perpetuum mobile, which Briselli declared unplayable and no match for the quality or substance of the first two movements. He tried to persuade Barber to expand it, and give it a more defined structure. Barber declined. At that point, Fels asked for his advance to be returned. Barber answered that he had spent the money on his composing trip to Switzerland. Barber had the work...
less
