It is often said that the music world is a small one. It is inevitable that composers, singers and instrumentalists will be drawn to the company of others who share their devotion to the art, and understand the dedication and sacrifice that have always been necessary elements of a career in music. Put a group of musicians together for the first time, and within minutes you will see them bonding over mutual friendships and shared passions. Musical experiences are always personal, and sharing them can create a sense of intimacy that allows relative strangers to feel like family. When such deep relationships are formed between composers and performers, they can result in the creation of masterpieces that serve as perennial testaments to those partnerships, long after the musicians themselves are gone. Such is the origin of Felix Mendelssohn’s final orchestral work, his Violin Concerto, inspired by and composed especially for the composer’s childhood friend, the extraordinary violinist Ferdinand David, whom Mendelssohn had known since they were both teenagers.

Incredibly, David and Mendelssohn had been born in the same house in Hamburg, one year apart. Having moved to Berlin at age 2 however, Mendelssohn did not meet David until the violinist joined the orchestra of Berlin’s Königsstädtisches Theater. There the two teenagers played chamber music together, and a lifelong friendship was formed. Ten years later, when Mendelssohn was 26 and accepted the position of Principal Conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig, one of his first official acts was to appoint his old friend David as Concertmaster. David joined Mendelssohn in Leipzig, and would remain at the helm of that orchestra for the remainder of his life. In 1838 Mendelssohn wrote to his friend, “I should like to write a violin concerto for you next winter. One in E minor runs through my head, the beginning of which gives me no peace.” Thus began a 6-year collaboration between the two which would result in David giving the premiere of the work in 1845. The Concerto represented, in every sense, a true partnership between composer and performer, with David weighing in on nearly every feature of the piece, from the more technical aspects of violin technique, to larger issues concerning the balance and structure of the work. David also streamlined the cadenza Mendelssohn had written, and it is that revision that is standard today. David premiered the work with the Gewandhaus Orchestra on March 13, 1845, to immediate acclaim. He performed on his 1742 Guarneri del Gesú violin which, in another “small world” marvel, would later become the favorite instrument of Jascha Heifetz, and is now played by Alexander Barantschik, Concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony.

The three-movement work is “through composed”, meaning that the three movements are linked and played without pause. This would have been considered unusual for mid-19th century audiences who were accustomed to applauding after each movement. Also unconventional is the opening of the work. Whereas tradition would have dictated a lengthy orchestral introduction before the first entrance of the soloist, Mendelssohn gives us a mere three beats of a rocking accompaniment in the orchestra before the solo violin enters with a melody that has become beloved the world over. The attention is firmly on the soloist from the first moments, as the violin presents the dramatic first theme in its entirety, complete with some technical fireworks and a flourish at the end, before the orchestra finally gets their say. The incessant energy relaxes for a tender second theme, announced by the clarinets, followed by a return of the main melody and a development section full of displays of technical prowess from the soloist. In another unusual feature, Mendelssohn places the soloist’s cadenza at this point, rather than at the more traditional end of the movement, allowing for a satisfying final section and a dramatic conclusion which increases in speed and excitement. Just when we are convinced that the movement has reached a grand finale, Mendelssohn deceives us, as a lone bassoon holds a final extended note and the music elides into the second movement.

The Andante is a tender love song, reminiscent of one of Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words, romantic solo piano works which he composed throughout his career. The violin offers a gentle, gossamer melody accompanied by understated strings. The orchestra then introduces a new section, featuring a more passionate theme which the soloist and orchestra share and trade, before the delicate first theme returns in the violin. An exquisite concluding passage for the soloist resolves into a breathtakingly beautiful final chord. Again, however, Mendelssohn walks immediately through the doorway to the final movement, with a short passage of connecting material leading quickly to a sparkling Allegro molto vivace. Announced by a fanfare in the horns and trumpets, the infectious, sparkling theme of the last movement is Mendelssohn at his finest, and the entire movement bubbles over with a joyous energy that has charmed audiences for 175 years. The perpetual motion style violin writing gives the soloist ample opportunity to show off, and the concerto races to a dazzling conclusion…a magnificent testament to a lifelong friendship between two extraordinary artists, so very long ago.