• Composition:1938–9. Completed by 2 June 1939, though revisions continued until 15 October. Orchestration revised 1943.
• First Performances: 7 December 1939. Severance Hall, Cleveland. Jascha Heifetz violin, Cleveland Orchestra, Artur Rodzinski conductor.
• Revised version: 17 January 1944. Civic Hall, Wolverhampton. Henry Holst violin, Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent conductor.
• Duration: About 30 minutes
• Movements: I.Andante tranquillo - II.Presto capriccioso alla napolitana - III.Vivace
• Dedication: To Jascha Heifetz
• Craggs Catalogue Number: C37
• Instrumentation: Violin solo, 2 flutes (second doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (second doubling cor anglais), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons – 4 horns, 2 trumpets in B-flat, 3 trombones – timpani, 2 percussion (side drum, cymbals, tambourine, xylophone) – harp – strings Orchestral Instrumentation of Original Version: 2 flutes (second doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (second doubling cor anglais), 2 clarinets in A, 2 bassoons – 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in B-flat, 3 trombones – timpani, 2 percussion (side drum, bass drum, cymbals, tambourine, xylophone, castanets, glockenspiel, gong) – harp – strings
• Manuscript: Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Music Division. Autograph manuscript of a reduction for violin and piano. First movement is dated ‘New York 15/5/39’, before the orchestration was complete. Frederick R. Koch Collection. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Manuscript FRKF 597. Autograph full score, of the revised version. 142 pages.
• Publication: Oxford University Press. Study score, 1945, corrected 1969, 019 3684705. Reduction for violin and piano, arranged by Franz Reizenstein, 019 3684713. Score and parts are available on hire. [Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: Study score]
• Arrangements: Arranged for violin and piano, by Franz Reizenstein. Violin part edited by Jascha Heifetz. Publication: Oxford University Press, 1941, 019 3684713.
• Recordings:
Soloist | Orchestra | Conductor | Year | Compact Disc | Timing |
Jascha Heifetz | Cincinnati Symphony Orchestar | Sir Eugene Goossens | 1942 | Avid AMSC 604 | 27’36” |
Zino Francescatti | Philadelphia Orchestra | Eugene Ormandy | 1959 | Sony Classical 58931 | 28’48” |
Sir Yehudi Menuhin | London Symphony Orchestra | Sir William Walton | 1969 | EMI Classics 65005 | 31’40” |
Ida Haendel | Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra | Paavo Berglund | 1977 | EMI Classics 64202 EMI Classics 73371 |
31’24” |
Nigel Kennedy | Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | André Previn | 1987 | EMI Classics 49628 | 25’51” |
Lydia Mordkovitch | London Philharmonic | Jan Latham-Koenig | 1991 | Chandos CHAN 9073 | 34’22” |
Aaron Rosand | Florida Philharmonic Orchestra | James Judd | 1991 | Harmonia Mundi 907070 | 28’55” |
Tasmin Little | Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra | Andrew Litton | 1994 | London 444 114-2 | 31’42” |
Dong-Suk Kang | English Northern Philharmonia | Paul Daniel | 1997 | Naxos 8.554325 | 29’17” |
• Program Note: See Ian Lace’s article on this work and the Viola Concerto.