Fiddle Around with Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D Major
I. Allegro ma non troppo
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61
I'm Ludwig van Beethoven, and I'm glad to explain the first movement of my Violin Concerto in D Major, the Allegro ma non troppo. You'll hear how a simple pattern of repeated notes, first tapped softly on the timpani, keeps returning and holds this long, spacious movement together. On this site my fellow composers and I also teach you to recognize our pieces when you hear them, so come and try the Trainer whenever you like.
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How to Listen: Follow the Drum
My first piece of advice is to listen for the timpani, because the whole movement hangs on its small, steady tapping. Think of the orchestra as a big group of friends telling a story together, and of the solo violin as the one voice that steps forward to sing. The flute, oboes, clarinets and bassoons add bright little comments, and the horns and trumpets give the music its noble glow. You don't need to catch everything, so just follow the violin, and each time the drum taps come back, enjoy finding the thread again.Fast, But Don't Get Carried Away
I marked the movement Allegro ma non troppo, which simply means lively, but not too much. This is a large-scale movement, and a runner who sprints from the very first step is out of breath long before the finish. I wanted the violin to have time to sing its long melodies in the bright key of D major, and a frantic speed would have squashed them. So the title is a friendly request to the players: keep things moving, but let the music breathe.Choosing the Shape: One Long Conversation
Picking the form for this movement was an adventure, and I chose a spacious design over a short tune that simply repeats. The orchestra goes first and lays out the ideas, then the soloist joins and takes them up, and later they travel through different moods before coming home. I won't bury you in technical terms, so I'll walk you through five sections that are easy to follow by ear. Keep the repeated-note idea from the timpani in your pocket, because it keeps showing up and ties the themes together.Section 1: The Orchestra Clears Its Throat
The movement begins in D major with the five quiet taps, and the tempo is relaxed enough that you can count them. The orchestra then presents the main material, which is simple on purpose and built on those same repeated notes. The mood is calm and confident, like a speaker taking a long breath before saying something important. The soloist stays silent for now, so enjoy the sound of the orchestra while you wait.Section 2: The Violin Finally Gets a Word
Now the solo violin enters and takes up the themes the orchestra introduced, giving them a more personal, singing voice. Franz Clement, who first played it, had only about two days to learn this part, which still makes me wince. The mood turns warmer and more lyrical, and the orchestra steps back to accompany instead of leading. Listen for how the same simple ideas sound completely new once a single violin sings them.Section 3: A Stroll Through Other Moods
In the middle of the movement I let the themes wander away from where they started, and the mood shifts from sunny to a little more thoughtful. The music moves away from its home key, so you may feel it drifting without ever being lost. The timpani motif keeps coming back to remind you where you are, like a familiar face in a crowd. The violin and the orchestra trade ideas back and forth, and the whole stretch feels like a long, friendly conversation.Section 4: The Violinist Goes It Alone
Near the end the orchestra stops, and the soloist plays a cadenza alone, a passage where the violinist can shine freely. I never wrote a cadenza for the violin version, so violinists write their own or play ones by Joseph Joachim or Fritz Kreisler. When I later arranged the concerto for piano, I did write a long cadenza for this movement, and there the timpani briefly join the piano. So the cadenza you hear depends on who is playing, which makes every performance a small surprise.Section 5: Back Home, Pleasantly Tired
After the cadenza the orchestra returns and the main themes come home in D major, much like arriving back from a long trip. The pace is still the same unhurried Allegro ma non troppo, so the ending feels earned rather than rushed. The mood is bright and satisfied, and the repeated-note idea you have been following all along is never far away. When the last chord fades, the Larghetto follows with a much quieter mood, but that is a story for another time.Your Turn: Press Play
Now it's your turn to hear the movement for yourself, so press play and let the music carry you along. While you listen, keep in mind what we talked about: the drum taps, the soloist's entrance and the cadenza. You don't have to understand everything, because simply following the story is enough. I hope you find the journey through this movement as thrilling as I did when I wrote it.---
I hope you enjoyed learning about the listen guide for the Violin Concerto in D Major's I. Allegro ma non troppo. I'd love to know whether it made you want to hear the movement again. Now that you know to listen for those five quiet taps on the timpani, I think you'll notice them in places you missed the first time. Each time they return, they gently pull the music back together, and the whole movement feels a little more familiar. There is still a lot more to explore in this concerto. The Larghetto and the finale each have a character of their own, and they are well worth your time. You could also look into the cadenzas that violinists play, since I didn't write one for the violin version myself. If you'd like to keep going, please click on the links provided and wander a little further into the Violin Concerto in D Major. I'm glad to have had you along, and I hope the music keeps surprising you every time you listen.