Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) began his Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 19, as a concertino in 1915 but soon abandoned it to work on his opera, The Gambler. He returned to the concerto in the summer of 1917. It premiered on October 18, 1923 at the Paris Opera with Marcel Darrieux playing the violin part and the Paris Opera Orchestra conducted by Serge Koussevitzky. Igor Stravinsky made his debut as conductor at the same concert, conducting the first performance of his own Octet for Wind Instruments. Despite the events leading to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and eventually the October Revolution, 1917 became Prokofiev’s most productive year compositionally. Along with this concerto he completed the “Classical” Symphony, the Third and Fourth Piano Sonatas, and the Visions Fugitives for piano. He also began the cantata Seven, They Are Seven, based on Chaldean texts, and worked on the Third Piano Concerto. Nevertheless, Prokofiev continued his habit of incorporating previously composed sections in the violin concerto (something he would also do in the Third Piano Concerto). He composed the concerto’s opening melody in 1915, during his love affair with Nina Mescherskaya. The remaining movements were partly inspired by a 1916 Saint Petersburg performance of Karol Szymanowski’s Myths by Polish violinist Paul Kochanski. Movements: 1. Andantino, 2. Scherzo: Vivacissimo, 3. Moderato – Allegro moderato. Detailed instrumentation: Violin Solo: 2(2dPicc).2.2.2: 4.2.0.1. Timp.Perc(2).Hp: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).
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