Violin Concerto No. 2 in B Minor

Long recognised as a highlight from a golden age for such pieces between the two world wars, Bartók’s Second Violin Concerto was written in 1937 and 1938—three decades after its predecessor, which was never published in the composer’s lifetime—at a time of social and cultural upheaval throughout Europe. He had envisaged a continuous set of variations, but its dedicatee, Zoltán Székely, wanted a work in the standard three movements. The result was an ingenious compromise in that the central movement adopts variation form, while the final movement is a variation on the first. Its main themes lyrical and sardonic, the initial "Allegro non troppo" is a large-scale sonata design with an elaborate cadenza prior to the coda. Next, the soulful theme of an "Andante tranquillo" is followed by six variations, contrasted in mood and resourceful in orchestration. The final "Allegro molto" has a similar trajectory to the first movement, with greater emphasis on rhythmic impetus and a stealthy crescendo that builds to a dramatic close. After persuading Bartók to amend this ending so the violin returns in thrilling fashion for the final bars, Székely gave the premiere in Amsterdam with Willem Mengelberg and the Concertgebouw Orchestra on 23 March 1939, its profound synthesis of innovation and tradition soon assuring its place in the repertoire.