THE WOODEN PRINCE. Cristian Macelaru and Alexandra Comunova

REPERTOIRE

Max Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 (1864-1866) 24′
Béla Bartók: The Wooden Prince, Op. 13, Sz. 60 (1914-1916) 55′

ARTISTS

Cristian Macelaru, conductor
Alexandra Conunova, violin
Barcelona Symphony Orchestra (OBC)

PROGRAMME

A very brief, solemn orchestral introduction precedes the soloist’s appearance in Max Bruch’s First Violin Concerto, completed in 1868. The virtuoso delicacy of the violin prefaces the forceful entrance of the orchestra and the development of a typically Romantic tension between the individual and nature – the subject at the centre of the cosmic drama – with skilfully shaped melodic lines and a clarity reminiscent of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto.

When he composed the music for the ballet The Wooden Prince, which premiered in Budapest in 1917, Béla Bartók was mindful of the popular wisdom of stories that seem to have a timeless relevance. Although major works such as his First Violin Concerto and the opera Duke Bluebeard’s Castle had already been performed, he was not highly thought of. His fortunes would change, however, thanks to this ballet, a score that requires a huge orchestra, and conveys the magic of a fairy tale in a faux naïve style.