Jean Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D Minor Op. 47 premiered on this day in 1905. Aspiring to be a virtuoso violinist, Sibelius' love of the instrument was found to be an outlet in creating one of his greatest masterpieces.
Similar to Beethoven, Sibelius was a composer who worked tirelessly, reworking, and refining his ideas. His original version in 1903 took on significant changes with cuts and changes in harmony and orchestration.
Eager to unveil the new version, the first performance was given by Czech violinist and concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, Karel Halíř, with Richard Strauss conducting the Berlin Court Orchestra.
