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Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 (1st movement)
Whilst you listen to the beginning of the Violin Concerto, answer the following
questions:
1. What key is the concerto in?
2. Which instruments is the work scored for?
3. How has the orchestra changed from Haydn’s time?
4. Find two examples of a passage of music marked forte.
a) bar(s) _____
b) bar(s) _____
5. Find two examples of a chord marked sforzando.
a) bar _____
b) bar _____
6. What does sforzando mean?
7. Why do the horns (Corni in D) and trumpets (Trombe in D) have a key
signature of C major when the piece is in D major?
8. What does C stand for (bar 1)?
9. Why does the clarinet part have a key signature of F major?
10. How many bars does the orchestra play for before the solo violin enters?
11. Find a passage where the violas and cellos play triplet quavers.
Bars ________
12. Find an example of the cellos and basses playing pizzicato.
Bar _________
Extension questions:
13. What does ‘tutti’ mean?
14. Describe how the use of dynamics has changed from the Vivaldi, through the
Haydn and the Beethoven. Reference this to how musical composition
changed through the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods.
15. Find an example of the basses playing the main melody.
Bars ________
16. Explain the role of the timpani in Baroque and Classical works.
Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 (1st movement)
Background
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Ludwig van Beethoven was born in the German town, Bonn.
In 1972, he went to Vienna (the music-making capital at that time, as well
as the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) to have lessons with
Joseph Haydn.
He was already an excellent pianist and composer.
Musicians from all over Europe, especially Italy and Germany, wanted to
go to Vienna to find work and meet other musicians/artists/writers, etc.
A composer’s main income would have been the patronage of a wealthy
aristocratic family who supported music as a way of showing off their
noble status and education.
Beethoven made a successful career for himself in Vienna.
The Violin Concerto in D major was written for violinist Franz Clement,
whose playing Beethoven admired. The premiere was part of a benefit
concert (a concert to raise money for a particular cause); in this case to
raise money for Clement. Musicians would supplement their income by
holding a benefit concert – fellow musicians would often help out by
giving their services for free.
The Concerto is dedicated to a good friend of Beethoven’s, Stephen von
Breuning.
Performance directions in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto
(Orchestral exposition)
Allegro ma non troppo – quickly, but not too much
Dolce – sweetly
p – piano (soft dynamic)
cresc. – getting gradually louder
sf (sforzando) – sudden accent
Diminuendo – getting gradually softer
f – forte (loud dynamic)
dimin. – diminuendo (getting gradually softer)
pp – pianissimo (very soft dynamic)
ff – fortissimo (very loud dynamic)
zu 2 – some of the wind parts require 2 players (e.g. see first page ‘2 Oboi’) This
marking tells both players to play, even though there is only 1 line of music at that
moment
sempre – always (e.g. ‘sempre f’ = always loudly) This tells the musicians to play a
phrase at a sustained dynamic
Bassi arco (bar 64) – basses play with bow; the music at this point could have been
played pizzicato (plucked) because of the articulation written. This marking tells the
players to use their bows.