Violin Concerto (Berg)
The Violin Concerto " To the Memory of an Angel " (1935 ) is a concerto for violin and orchestra by Alban Berg. It belongs to the opera Wozzeck to the most famous works of the composer.
Work history
In February 1935, the American violinist Louis Krasner had given a violin concerto commissioned. Since mountain was still working on the composition of the opera Lulu, and also because he was initially hesitant about the form of the concerto, he initially remained dormant until he end of April, it profoundly shocking news of the death of 18 -year-old, suffering from polio Manon Gropius was the daughter of Alma Mahler - Werfel from the marriage with the architect Walter Gropius. Berg continued her with the violin concerto is a musical monument, composed with the intention of " traits of the young girl put into musical characters ."
The composition was completed on 23 July 1935 at the Condensed score and completed the fair copy of the score on 11 August. The Violin Concerto is Berg's last completed work. The premiere took place on 19 April 1936, Louis Krasner, conducted by Hermann Scherchen at the music festival in the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona.
Occupation
The cast of the concert consists of the solo violin, 2 flutes (both also piccolos ), 2 oboes ( one also English horn ), alto sax (also clarinet), 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings.
The performance lasts about 25 minutes.
Description of the work
The work is in two movements, in each case divided again by various tempos and so the thematic intent of a requiem following.
The first movement (Andante - Allegretto ) to trace Manon's short life, a built-in simple Carinthian folk tune refers to his childhood as a mountain in Carinthia Manon met for the first time. Berg drew with the first sentence a " musical portrait " Manon. The music is charming, gentle nature, in the Allegretto is the mountain nervous and cheerful, sanguine traits of the girl is, where he also quotes from the Viennese Waltz used.
The second movement (Allegro, ma semper rubato, free as a cadence - Adagio ) is a music of death and transfiguration. This effect is due to the final quote of the Bach chorale it enough from the cantata O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort, BWV 60 is amplified.
The work underlies a twelve-tone row (see twelve-tone ), which can be described as a nesting G minor, D major, A minor and E major triad, in wich a Ganztonfolge.
The Dreiklängsgrundtöne each other in the ratio of a perfect fifth. The Ganztonfolge at the end of the basic series is also the first four notes of the chorale melody, It is enough.
In addition, the ascending form of the series can be understood as a " stairway to heaven", in the sense of a mystical view of life after death.
The Bach quote programmatically stands at the end ( "It is enough, sir, if it pleases you, so exciting me but from [ ... ]"). Previously weaves mountain a cross motif in the form of a Bach motif.
Number symbolism
Berg had a great liking for dates and data, which he then used in his works.
Thus, the second movement of the Violin Concerto of 230 bars. The number 23 was an important number for mountain represents: Many of his works were completed on 23 of a month, and he suffered his first asthma attack on July 23, 1908 The 22 ( the date of death of Manon: April 22). , In his work related:
- After the 22 -bar rubato cadence follows in measure 23, the motif of death, a tango ajar rhythmic cell ( cf. Totentanz ).
- The Bach chorale - processing "It is enough to take, Lord, my spirit! " At Mountain includes 22 bars - at awl / stream only 20 cycles.
- The dedication to the memory of an angel has 22 letters.
- The motif Bach performing at clock 222 of the second set ( sequentially follow the sounds b, a, c, h ).
- The zehntaktige Introduction is structured in fifths. The perfect fifth is the number ratio 2:3 basis (see intervals).
- The tempo marking of 69 beats per minute is used multiple times ( 3 x 69 = 23).
Furthermore, it is interesting to note that the final chord of 18 tones is what may be indicative of the years of life Manon.