Violin Concerto in D Major

Although he had drafted it before the Second World War, Korngold only finished his Violin Concerto in 1945, and its premiere was given by Jascha Heifetz in St. Louis on 15 February 1947. There are three concise movements. The ‘‘Moderato nobile’’ nimbly alternates its expressive and bittersweet main themes, with a cadenza replacing the central development, and a fervently decisive coda. The ‘‘Romanze’’ begins with languorous chords as a backdrop to the soloist’s eloquent theme, which returns in an ending of rapt serenity after the darker central section. The ‘‘Allegro assai vivace’’ is founded on a theme heard in dashing then suaver variants, this later version appearing in full orchestral splendour—after which the soloist is left musing wistfully before the coda brings about an uproarious close. In recent years, the work’s lush Romanticism and its unabashed melodic appeal have ensured it a place at the heart of the concerto repertoire.