Violin Concerto, Op. 14

This concerto was born out of a commission dispute: the violinist who ordered it rejected the finale as too simple for a showpiece, so Barber held his ground and found a different soloist for the 1941 premiere with the Philadelphia Orchestra. The first two movements are long-breathed and song-like, the violin carrying extended melodies over a warm orchestral texture with minimal virtuoso display. The finale abandons all of that and runs as a near-nonstop 'perpetual motion', providing a sharp, almost shocking contrast to everything that came before.

What to listen for

In the slow movement, a solo oboe lays out the main theme before the violin enters with a contrasting melodic line, and the two voices wind around each other before the violin eventually takes up the oboe's own melody. Then notice the abrupt shift when the finale begins: where the first two movements breathe and sing, the finale drives forward with relentless rhythmic momentum, the violin barely pausing from start to finish until the movement ends in a burst of speed.

Recommended rendition

Hilary Hahn's 2000 recording with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra has been frequently cited for its clarity of line and the way it makes the contrast between the lyrical first movements and the ferocious finale sound entirely logical.

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