MasterWorks II: Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto

November 1, 2025 7:30 PM

Overview

Themes of spiritual resilience, Romantic lyricism, and national identity converge in the second program ofWhere Our Stories Meet.The concert opens with Adolphus Hailstork’sFanfare on Amazing Grace, a powerful response to the original hymn’s legacy. Scored for brass and percussion, the work unfolds not as a simple arrangement but as an architectural meditation—gradually building from solemnity to exaltation. Hailstork, a key figure in American composition, invites the listener to consider both the historical weight and transformative hope embedded in the tune’s DNA.Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, performed by Nikki Chooi, remains one of the most structurally innovative concertos of the 19th century. Dispensing with the customary orchestral introduction, Mendelssohn begins immediately with the soloist—creating a sense of urgency and intimacy. Its through-composed form, seamless transitions between movements, and a cadenza placed mid-movement (rather than at the end) were groundbreaking at the time and continue to influence concerto writing today. Beneath its technical brilliance lies an unmistakable emotional clarity—equal parts tenderness, melancholy, and triumph.Dvořák’s Symphony No. 6 in D major closes the program with a nod to the composer’s Bohemian roots and his admiration for Brahms. The symphony’s pastoral second movement offers spacious lyricism reminiscent of the Czech countryside, while the third-movement furiant—marked by hemiolas and cross-rhythms—injects folk dance vitality into the orchestral form. It’s a work that embraces national identity without romanticizing it—asserting pride in cultural heritage through musical craftsmanship and thematic unity.

Mapped location of MasterWorks II: Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto
MasterWorks II: Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto
Hall of Fame Village Zimmermann Symphony Center 2331 17th Street Northwest Canton, OH 44708
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