Maestro Zukerman will perform Elgar's Violin Concerto Tuesday night, as the NAC Orchestra’s Beethoven Festival continues. What a treat this performance will be for all in attendance; Pinchas is known for his interpretation of the Elgar concerto internationally. In music journalist Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer’s words, “it’s one of the works that is probably closest to his heart and which he expresses perfectly…. His violin sounds perfect for this work.”
We asked maestro Zukerman why he choose to pair the Elgar Violin Concerto on a program with Beethoven’s Second Symphony. He tells us “the Second Symphony is Beethoven’s first big departure into a new mode of writing. There is still some Haydn influence, but it was Beethoven’s real departure into his own voice. Elgar has the same element of departure. He is one of the most unique composers in our history. This concerto requires a lot of stamina, but the music is worth it. I adore playing it and all of Elgar’s music.”
The Violin Concerto in B minor was composed by Elgar in 1910, and the score is headed with an inscription in Spanish: "Aqui está encerrada el alma de ....." ("Herein is enshrined the soul of .....")
Some say that he was referring to Alice Stuart-Wortley, a dear friend of Elgar’s, and in his letters to her he referred to it as "our concerto.” The five dots are one of Elgar's enigmas.
Want to know more? In this Explore the Symphony podcast episode, the NAC Orchestra's Marjolaine Fournier and Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer discuss Edward Elgar's Violin Concerto.
Direct link to Expore the Symphony podcast on Elgar (in English)
Direct link to L’univers symphonique podcast on Elgar (en français)
