VC VOX POP | “If You Could Commission a Concerto from a Dead Composer, Who Would it Be?” [Q&A]

The Violin Channel recently caught up with 30+ of the world’s top string players to find out …

“If you could commission a concerto from a dead composer, who would it be?”

The Violin Channel recently caught up with 30+ of the world’s top string players to find out …

 

British Cello Soloist Steven Isserlis:

“It would have to be Beethoven ...”

Canadian Violin Soloist James Ehnes:

“Beethoven or Mozart ...”

Italian-German Soloist, VC Artist Violinist Augustin Hadelich:

“We're lucky as violinists as we already have concertos from most of the major composers ... but I’d probably ask Chopin and Messiaen ...”

Korean-American Violin Soloist Sarah Chang:

“Rachmaninoff!”

Australian Soloist, VC Artist Violinist Ray Chen:

“I'd like Mahler to write me a violin concerto ...”

VC Artist Dover Quartet 1st Violinist Joel Link:

“Beethoven ... I just love everything he wrote, and would love to see what he would do again if he had another opportunity at writing a violin concerto ... "

American Cellist David Finckel:

“That’s an easy answer: Mozart ... the cellists of Mozart’s day did not take him by the throat and force him to compose a concerto for their instrument ... a costly error which we all pay for now and rests squarely on their tab ...”

Canadian Violin Soloist Lara St. John:

“Ravel ... can you imagine the Ravel Violin Concerto? ...  so beautiful, and so well orchestrated ..."

VC Young Artist Violist Timothy Ridout:

“Sir Edward Elgar! Lionel Tertis actually did speak with Elgar about writing a viola concerto, and he was keen to write one ... however sadly it was at the end of his life and he died before he managed to really start work ....”

VC Rising Star Violinist Johan Dalene:

“A second violin concerto by Brahms would be nice ... ”

Czech Philharmonic Concertmaster, VC Artist Josef Spacek:

“I really wonder what a concerto by Mahler would sound like?”

Emerson String Quartet Violinist, Philip Setzer:

“I would love to have a violin concerto from Debussy or Ravel!"

VC Artist Attacca Quartet Cellist Andrew Yee:

“Bela Bartok string quartet concerto ... Hands down ... though I wouldn't cry if Brahms had written a cello concerto either...”

VC Young Artist Cellist Zlatomir Fung:

“I'd commission Mozart to write a cello concerto ... I'm sure it would be simply sublime ..."

VC Artist Violinist Richard Lin:

“Either Mahler or Wagner ...”

VC Artist Violinist Nikki Chooi:

“Another Richard Strauss Violin Concerto written much later in his life ...”

Dallas Symphony Concertmaster, Alexander Kerr:

“Brahms!!!!!”

American Soloist, VC Artist Violinist Stefan Jackiw:

“Charles Ives Violin Concerto!”

TwoSet Violinist, Eddy Chen:

“Ravel, Debussy, Rachmaninov or maybe another Sibelius or Brahms violin concerto ....”

TwoSet Violinist, Brett Yang:

“Tchaikovsky ... One wasn’t enough!”

VC Young Artist Violinist Simone Porter:

“I would commission a concerto from Strauss ... the way he writes for the violin, as demonstrated in his concertmaster solos and sonata, is inimitable in its allure ..."

VC Artist Violinist Angelo Xiang Yu:

“Mozart ... when I play his music I can see myself become good friends with him ...”

Russian-American Violin Soloist Philippe Quint:

“Hector Berlioz ... he owes the world a Violin Concerto!”

English Violinist Tasmin Little:

“Ravel  ... but can I choose Rachmaninov too please?”

Dutch Violin Soloist Simone Lamsma:

“We are blessed with great violin concertos by Beethoven and Brahms, but I would love another by them ... and I would love a violin concerto by Rachmaninov ...”

Violinist & Fashion Model Filip Pogady:

“I would commission a violin concerto from a composer who I think would have written an amazing concerto ... but didn't during his/her lifetime .... Franz Schubert ...”

London Symphony Orchestra First Violinist “Queen of Bling” Maxine Kwok-Adams:

“I'd love to have seen how Mahler would have dealt with composing a violin concerto ... I imagine the tutti part would have been extremely heavily scored!”

VC Young Artist Violinist Francisco Fullana:

“We are lucky as violinists that most composers wrote at least one violin concerto ... but I would have to go with Ravel ... at least we still have his two violin sonatas and Tzigane!”