Composer Jean Sibelius once had ambitions to become a great violinist, but he started lessons a little late at the age of 14 and didn’t quite have access to great teachers in his native Finland. In 1915, after one audition in particular, he gave up on his dreams of becoming a violinist entirely. His Violin Concerto, then, could be viewed as a way of the composer connecting with an alternate, violin-playing version of himself, imbued with both a celebration of the instrument, and also a kind of sadness and longing. It’s our Evening Masterwork tonight at 7 on Classical WSMR 89.1 and 103.9.
Evening Masterworks: Jean Sibelius's Violin Concerto in d-minor, Op. 47 for July 21, 2024
