In 1878, Johannes Brahms wrote his daunting “Violin Concerto” in tribute to a close friend, violinist Joseph Joachim. The technical demands on the soloist require an almost superhuman approach to the composer’s prolific use of broken chords and rapid scale passages.
If you go
National Philharmonic presents an all Brahms concert
Where: The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday
Info: $29 to $79, children ages 7 to 17 are free; 301-581-5100; strathmore.org. A free, pre-concert lecture is offered one hour before each performance.
This weekend at the Music Center at Strathmore, recording artist and award-winning violinist, Adele Anthony will perform the piece with the National Philharmonic under the baton of Maestro Piotr Gajewski. Anthony, in her first appearance with the Philharmonic, welcomes the challenge.
“I think this is one of the greatest violin concertos ever written and it’s very rewarding to perform,” she said. “The challenge is to make it not seem so difficult, to make it sound the way a Brahms melody should sound.”
The intimacy of performing chamber music nationally and internationally has prepared Anthony for what she says is living “up to the standards of everyone around you” and recognizing that very member of the orchestra can help the soloist discover musical elements and nuances not always immediately apparent.
“A lot of people say the violin is a lot like the [human] voice, the breathing is similar,” Anthony continued. “Brahms definitely uses the violin to its full capabilities, using the very high register as well as the lower colors of the [instrument]. That’s one of the great things about this concerto — the extremities.”
Also on the all Brahms repertoire is his “Symphony No. 2 in D, Opus 73.”
As is the case with most artistic endeavors, Brahms’ first attempt at symphonic composition was a swim in cold, serious waters.
“But once he broke the ice, the [music] pours out fairly naturally from him,” Gajewski said.
The piece is special to the conductor for a very interesting and little known fact.
“The original manuscript is here in Washington in the Library of Congress,” he said. “It is in Brahms’ handwriting and later, his corrections. I think that’s very cool.”
The concert opens with the “Hungarian Dance No. 5”, probably the most famous piece Brahms ever wrote, simply because it is so widely recognizable.
“It’s a very good place to start because everyone loves that tune,” he said, humming a few bars.
