Description
The opening movement of Haydn's Violin Concerto in C Major, performed on period instruments by the award-winning Early Music ensemble Voices of Music. Augusta McKay Lodge, classical violin. This work presented here for the first time in 8K video.
Haydn’s Violin Concerto in C Major was not printed until the 20th century, when it was unearthed in a publisher’s archive. It was written for the Italian violinist Luigi Tomasini, newly hired in 1761 as concertmaster of the Esterházy orchestra. Like Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Tomasini was adept in the new Italian techniques of string playing, and it is obvious that Haydn relished writing sprightly tunes and challenging passagework for the virtuoso violinist. The first movement sparkles with double stops (two notes played at once) and scales that sprint into the heights of the violin’s register (Nick Jones).
Historical performance of Haydn & Mozart
Although Haydn, Mozart and their contemporaries are mainstays of modern concert repertory, historical performances, using the instruments, bows, strings, styles and techniques of the time are relatively rare.
Of the above, perhaps the two most important differences from modern performances were the direction of the orchestra and the varied skills of the musicians. In the late 18th century, as in the baroque, the orchestra was not conducted, but led from the keyboard or the violin. In addition, audiences came to see virtuosi perform, and the leader of the orchestra was invariably a world-class performer as well as composer. Haydn, Mozart, J.C. Bach and Bologne were universally acknowledged as virtuosi, and in our performance tonight you will see both types of performances: the violin concertos are led from the violin, and the symphony is led from the keyboard. Attuned to this style, it is straightforward for the musicians to follow the cellist or another solo instrument for their individual concertos. Ideally, the result is similar to a play, in which each player knows and performs their roles in scenes, soliloquies, dialogues and ensembles.
Directing the orchestra with an instrument lends a unique advantage: the leader is able to speak continuously to the ensemble and audience through the language of music. Opportunities for composition and improvisation are revealed in the cadenzas, as you will hear from our soloist.
Voices of Music Classical Orchestra
Hanneke van Proosdij, director & harpsichord
First violin
Isabelle Seula Lee, Augusta McKay Lodge (soloist)**
Maxine Nemerovski & Shelby Yamin*
Second violin
Aniela Eddy, Kati Kyme* Linda Quan & Noah Strick
Viola
Maria Caswell* Lisa Grodin & Anna Washburn
Violoncello
Eva Lymenstull,*** Joanna Joy Neuschatz & Elisabeth Reed***
Viennese bass
Farley Pearce*
Classical horn
Elisabeth Axtell* & Leslie Hart
Classical oboe
Pablo O’Connell & Marc Schachman*
**concertmaster *principal ***continuo
Performed on period instruments A=430 Hz
Boby Borisov, audio engineer and ambisonics design
Video: Lloyd Hryciw & Rob Clevenger
8K technology: David Tayler
Produced by David Tayler
Post Production: David Tayler & Andrew Levy
Audio mastering, video cutting and final 8K color and render: David Tayler
Copyright 2025 Voices of Music
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