Béla Bartók
Violin Concerto No. 2 (Bartók)
Béla Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 2, Sz. 112, BB 117 was written in 1937–38. During the composer's life, it was known simply as his Violin Concerto. His other violin concerto, Violin Concerto No. 1,
Structure#
It has the following three movements: The concerto is scored for 2 flutes (2nd doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (2nd doubling English horn), 2 clarinets (2nd doubling bass clarinet), 2 bassoons (2nd doubling contrabassoon), 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, side drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tamtam (gong), celesta, harp, and strings.
Selected recordings#
- Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2 – Zoltán Székely (violin), Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by Willem Mengelberg.
- Bartók / Stravinsky: Violin Concerto No. 2 / Violin Concerto – Viktoria Mullova (violin), Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen.
- Bartók: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 – Thomas Zehetmair (violin), Budapest Festival Orchestra, IIván Fischer (cond.) Berlin Classics.
- Bartók: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2, Viola Concerto – James Ehnes (violin) with the BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
Further reading#
- Somfai, László. 1977. “Strategics of Variation in the Second Movement of Bartók’s Violin Concerto 1937–1938”. Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 19, Fasc. 1/4:161–202.
- Ujfalussy, József. 1971. “Is Bartók’s Concerto for Violin Really His Second?” Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 13, Fasc. 1/4:355–56.
- Composer
- Béla Bartók