Barber - Violin Concerto [Oliveira/ Slatkin-Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra]This is the first time that Barber's Violin Concerto appears in my Blog, it is a work that i haven't known long, but already i feel that it's a lovely work that is becoming endearing, nice tunes in the first two movements, it's very romantic and lush.
Elmar Oliveira is an American Violinist, he was born in 1950, and is now 60 years old, he recorded this Concerto in 1986 at 36 years.
Of course i love the opening of the first movement, such a lyrically compelling idea, lovely and memorable, but on this listen i was even more moved by the middle slow movement, its gentle opening is so sweet and full of almost regret, and like Brahms's Violin Concerto, the oboe steals the show in the slow movement, and i wonder if Barber was influenced by it?, the oboe has the most gorgeous tune to play [0:14-1:30], it's full of pathos and that indescribable tug on the heart, it's so gentle and unassuming, if only... maybe Barber had written an Oboe Concerto instead!, after the oboe a clarinet [1:50+], and then what i believe is the flute [2:03], also have a little go with the tune, the violin finally arrives a third of the way into the movement [3:02+], but not with the beautiful opening tune as expected, then finally after halfway through the movement, the violin gets to play the main tune [5:17+], lovely and sweet, and later the orchestra bursts on the scene, with the strings in full flow with the tune [6:43-6:58], for only 15 seconds!, it's a beautiful Concerto that i'm really getting to know.
Here's Anne Akiko Meyers playing the second movement on YouTube.
