# Violin and ....what?



## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

Last night at our Norwich Baroque concert Taggart & I were entranced by J. S. Bach's Concerto in C Minor for Oboe and Violin BWV 1060:






I just love the way the violin and oboe interact; as it says in our programme notes, 'This concerto, like the double violin concerto, gives prominence not to instrumental virtuosity but instead to creating a conversation between the solo and ensemble lines as equals.'

Apparently this piece was a 'lost' concerto surviving only as an arrangement for 2 harpsichords; it was then thought to have been meant for 2 violins, and was reconstructed & published in this form.

'However, as it became more widely known, scholars noticed that the two solo parts were considerably different in style, in particular the lack of violinistic arpeggio figuration in the second solo part which characterises the first. It is therefore now presumed to be for violin and oboe and is most often heard in this form today.'

I can't comment on this but I do think the baroque oboe and violin go *so* well together.

I'd be interested in hearing about other works which use oboe & violin as solo parts, or about combinations of violin (or strings orchestra) with a solo instrument in a way which *you* think achieves musical near-perfection.

:tiphat: Thank you in advance for any replies, and may the rest of your Sunday be filled with serenity...


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Perfection? No, and it is no Bach, but I like the unusual combination of horn and violin as concertante instruments in Ethel Smyth work.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

Violin and... THE VOICE

There are some beautiful arias with prominent solo violin part.

Two examples that came to me right away:











One could also mention Verdi's _Caro Nome_. But I think the violin part in it is quite uninteresting.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

I always put in a plug for Bruch's concerto for viola and clarinet, which is quite delightful.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I think if you're going to have a concerto for two or more instruments it's helpful to be of different timbres or registers so I can tell them apart, unless you use some kind of positional or stereo separation method. On the other hand Bach's concertos for 2, 3 and even 4(!) harpsichords are awesome to behold. I like to get lost in the bewildering assault of lacy complexity.

I too am very fond of the horn as an unusual chamber instrument. It's soft timbre offsets the more penetrating violin nicely. I recently acquired this album during one of Amazon's mp3 sales. I'd already had the Brahms horn trio in a Naxos version, but the Beethoven horn sonata is a real treat.











brianvds said:


> I always put in a plug for Bruch's concerto for viola and clarinet, which is quite delightful.


Ha! I first read "Bach's concerto for viola and clarinet" and thought you were out to lunch for a moment.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

Hummel wrote a nice concerto for piano and violin. Or at least, I think it is nice. I had a recording when I was in my teens and I liked it at the time, but not being Mozart, I don't have the work in my memory.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

brianvds said:


> Hummel wrote a nice concerto for piano and violin. Or at least, I think it is nice. I had a recording when I was in my teens and I liked it at the time, but not being Mozart, I don't have the work in my memory.


This sounds very interesting, but I haven't heard it. I have a few Hummel works and like them. He only wrote one "famous" piece I think, his trumpet concerto...


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I am rather fond of Richard Strauss' double concerto for clarinet and bassoon, AV 147, entitled _Duett-Concertino_. The clarinet and bassoon sound very nice together and contrast beautifully. Like the oboe, the bassoon is a woodwind instrument. This is not quite the combination you were after, I realize


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## dgee (Sep 26, 2013)

brotagonist said:


> I am rather fond of Richard Strauss' double concerto for clarinet and bassoon, AV 147, entitled _Duett-Concertino_. The clarinet and bassoon sound very nice together and contrast beautifully. Like the oboe, the bassoon is a woodwind instrument. This is not quite the combination you were after, I realize


Indeed! That piece truly is a delight in sunset of Strauss style (1947 off the top of my head?). Unfortunately I think it is still waiting for a defining recording


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

I quite like violin with string trio...


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## schuberkovich (Apr 7, 2013)

This is a more unconventional combination, but I love solo violin + orchestral violins playing in unison (in a violin concerto).
For example, at *3:53* in Brahms' Violin Concerto:





or the beginning of the third movement of Dvorak's Violin Concerto:


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

KenOC said:


> This sounds very interesting, but I haven't heard it. I have a few Hummel works and like them. He only wrote one "famous" piece I think, his trumpet concerto...


He wrote a great deal of immensely attractive music, and had the misfortune of being Beethoven's contemporary. The double concerto for violin and piano is on YouTube, but I haven't given it a listen yet.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

dgee said:


> Indeed! That piece truly is a delight in sunset of Strauss style (1947 off the top of my head?). Unfortunately I think it is still waiting for a defining recording


Defining? This one is very fine:









It is paired with other late works (plays on all CD players).


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

brianvds said:


> He (Hummel) wrote a great deal of immensely attractive music, and had the misfortune of being Beethoven's contemporary. The double concerto for violin and piano is on YouTube, but I haven't given it a listen yet.


Well, just listened to it, and it is every bit as delightful as I remember it. Count me a fan of Hummel.


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