The William Schuman Violin Concerto: Genesis of a Twentieth-Century Masterpiece

Transcription

1 The William Schuman Violin Concerto: Genesis of a Twentieth-Century Masteriece Joseh W. Polisi Notes, Volume, Number, March 2010, (Article) Published by Music Library Association DOI: htts://doi.org/10.15/not.0.02 For additional information about this article htts://muse.jhu.edu/article/770 Accessed 8 Jun :09 GMT

2 THE WILLIAM SCHUMAN VIOLIN CONCERTO: GENESIS OF A TWENTIETH-CENTURY MASTERPIECE By Joseh W. Polisi The saga of the comosition and revisions of William Schuman s Violin Concerto sans aroximately fourteen years. Schuman received the commission in 194, and the concerto was erformed in three versions 1950, 195, and 1959 leading to its final ublished version of 190. The genesis of this work reresents a rare and lengthy rocess for Schuman. Evidence in his letters and oral histories, a close examination of the extensive manuscrit and audio sources of the concerto s three versions, and a consideration of the comoser s overall musical outut during this time eriod rovide an intriguing look into the mind of Schuman as he comosed this most affecting work. When World War II ended, Schuman was ositioned, at age thirty-five, as one of America s most imortant comosers and arts leaders. Not only had he won the very first Pulitzer Prize for music in 194, for A Free Song: Secular Cantata No. 2, but he took on his new resonsibilities as resident of the Juilliard School of Music at the beginning of the aca - demic year. His music had been erformed by rominent American orchestras, esecially the Boston Symhony Orchestra (BSO) under Serge Koussevitzky, and he had already comosed five symhonies (the first two of which were withdrawn), including the exertly crafted Third and the animated Fifth for strings alone. Thus, at this time Schuman was in the rime of his comositional life. A new concerto for violin and orchestra would most likely embody the energy, musical creativity, and exert orchestration that were becoming the hallmarks of a Schuman comosition. Schuman was aroached by the well-known violinist Samuel Dushkin in 194 to comose a violin concerto that Dushkin hoed he would be able to remiere with Koussevitzky and the BSO. Dushkin had a very distinguished record of first erformances of violin works, including Stravinsky s Violin Concerto, the Duo concertant, and Suite italienne. Joseh W. Polisi is the sixth resident of The Juilliard School. Brief excerts from his 2008 book, American Muse: The Life and Times of William Schuman (Amadeus Press), aear in this article. The year 2010 marks the one hundredth anniversary of Schuman s birth. 457

3 458 Notes, March 2010 Schuman had first met Dushkin at Stravinsky s hotel suite many years earlier when the young comoser had been entrusted with the manuscrit to Stravinsky s Jeu de cartes, which he had been asked to comare with the ublisher s rinted roof. Regrettably, Schuman no longer remembered that the violin laying he had heard at the hotel room door was shockingly bad. Schuman s comleted concerto score was sent to Koussevitzky for his review in late 1947, around the same time Dushkin had invited Schuman to come to New York s Town Hall to hear him lay. Unfortunately, the quality of Dushkin s laying had not imroved. Koussevitzky steed in and said, I vill lay, but not with Dushkin. You must tell Dushkin. 1 Schuman was in a horribly awkward osition, because Dushkin had already aid for the concerto and had exclusive rights to it for three years. Koussevitzky could not be bothered by these legal niceties: I don t care what your agreement is. Take it away from him. We ll give it to Isaac Stern and lay it with the Boston Symhony. 2 Schuman decided to advise Dushkin of this decision after attending a concert with him at the Museum of Modern Art at which Koussevitzky was honored. As they settled in for drinks at the Plaza Hotel Dushkin ordered a cognac in a stemmed glass Schuman said, Listen, Sam, this is the most difficult moment of my life in ersonal relationshis, and it will be for you, too, but I can t go on with the Violin Concerto. I know you were a great erformer at one time, but no one is going to lay it [with you], and this is what I have to tell you. Dushkin s resonse was intense and immediate. In a moment of whitehot anger, he snaed the stem of his glass in two. Although Dushkin was not cut, Schuman remembered that the exerience was just terrible... it was one of the saddest things in my life. I still don t know whether I was right or wrong. 4 One would have thought that the relationshi between Schuman and Dushkin would have been acrimonious from that time forward. But uon the death of Schuman s mother in Setember 1947, he received a gracious letter of condolence from Dushkin s wife, Louise. In January 1951, Dushkin wrote a ersonal and warm letter on the death of Schu - man s father the rior November. In a final rarochement, Schuman 1. William Schuman and Heidi Waleson, William Schuman Memoirs, , New York [unublished manuscrit] (hereinafter cited as Schuman and Waleson), cha. 11,. 15; Schuman Family Archives (rivate collection). 2. Ibid., Transcrit of interview by Vivian Perlis with William Schuman, no. 4 a hh, 2 February 1 Novem - ber 1977, New York City and Greenwich, CT [unublished manuscrit] (hereinafter cited as Perlis),. 15; American Music Series. 4. Ibid.

4 The William Schuman Violin Concerto 459 wrote Dushkin at the time of the remiere of the concerto s final version in 1959: I thought about you this summer during the eriod of rearation and erformance of the Concerto in Asen. I cannot hel but feel that somehow you would have been leased. Maybe this is wishful thinking on my art. 5 After the three years had assed Dushkin had held on to the concerto for the eriod of contractual exclusivity the work was scheduled for erformance on 10 February 1950, with the Boston Symhony Orchestra under its new conductor, Charles Munch, with Isaac Stern as soloist. According to Schuman, Munch loved the work and said it was one of the great concertos of our time. In Schuman s view, though, Stern did not gras the intellectual underinnings of the work and therefore did not resent the concerto in its best light. Schuman was troubled by the inability of certain erformers who are only conventional literature erformers to come to gris with a new iece on its own terms, so he [Stern] never understood it excet suerficially. He always thought the oening, which he used to sing, was frenetic, even though I wanted that to be broadly romantic... he would never lay it that way. 7 Critical reaction was generally ositive. One writer considered it fiendishly difficult, although Stern s art conquered all with seeming ease.... Undoubtedly the concerto is a skillful, intelligent and forceful iece of work. Yet judging by the audience s reaction, it is not destined for early ublic accetance. 8 Another saw the concerto as a study of the individual, as reresented by the solo violin, to maintain his integrity and balance... in the face of a harsh and often overbearing surrounding milieu. That milieu seemed to be the large, twentieth century city. Mr. Schuman is too sohisticated a musician... to be interested in reroducing the common noises of the city. But surely some of the sounds of the second movement must have been suggested by tugboat whistles and one got the imression of factory whistles in the finale. 9 Time wrote whimsically that Charles Munch found the work horribly difficult but it had its good features; it exloited the orchestra very adroitly, used the modern language effectively, and altogether it was 5. William Schuman, letter to Samuel Dushkin, 29 Setember 1959; The William Schuman Paers, Music Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations, box 1, folder 8.. Perlis, Ibid., Jules Wolffers, Bostonians Premiere New Schuman Violin Concerto, Musical Courier, 1 March R. P., Stern the Soloist in Schuman Work, New York Times, 1 March 1950.

5 40 Notes, March 2010 très intéressant. Pudgy violinist Isaac Stern agreed. He had worked and worked until the music was art of me. When his fiddling was finished he grinned u into the balcony of Symhony Hall, then hammed his exit offstage, staggering as if brutally exhausted [after the rehearsal]. 10 Although Schuman exressed reservations with Isaac Stern s interretation of the concerto at its 1950 world remiere, live recordings of Stern s erformances in both the 1950 and 195 versions tend to validate his aroach. Stern layed the demanding work with imeccable technique, and his intensity in the oening solo violin line is totally justified when it is noted that Schuman marks the temo Allegro risoluto and the accomaniment includes staccato figures in the winds and a col legno staccato marking for the strings, lus a snare drum art with wire brush. A frenetic aroach to the oening line would certainly be an aroriate artistic choice. Although there is a difference between frenetic and broadly romantic, as Schuman stated, the intensity and focus of the oening line is brought forward by Stern in those two live recordings with energy, ower, and resence. Schuman recalled that uon hearing the concerto s remiere in 1950, I realized I didn t like the second movement and wanted to rewrite it. 11 I told Isaac [Stern] that I was not hay with it, that the second movement seemed all wrong to me, out of lace, and that the third movement had terrible roblems. And I asked Aaron [Coland]..., who said I was absolutely right, that the second movement was much too much in contrast, and he agreed with me... that my lan was to dro the second movement. 12 The revised work was introduced in a erformance with Stern and the Juilliard Orchestra, Jean Morel conducting, on 24 February 195. Once again Schuman felt changes were needed. He stated in one oral history, I worked on that iece for fourteen years, the most time I ever sent on a work. I knew I never wanted to do another violin concerto, that I had said everything I had to say in a violin concerto in this one, and I wanted to do it right. 1 The third and final version of the work was resented on 9 August 1959, at the Asen Music Festival in Colorado with Roman Totenberg as the soloist and Izler Solomon conducting. Schuman, finally satisfied with the iece, was thrilled by the Asen erformance and the audience resonse, which included a standing ovation Music: Bread & Butter, Time, 20 February Schuman and Waleson, cha. 11, Perlis, Schuman and Waleson, cha. 11, Telehone conversation between the author and Roman Totenberg, 1 Setember 2009.

6 The William Schuman Violin Concerto 41 The reworking was a unique exerience for Schuman, who called the rocess very unusual. 15 In light of the numerous changes made in the Violin Concerto, it is interesting to note the comoser s view of such changes in his manuscrits. Schuman once commented that all of his manuscrits, which are held by the Library of Congress, can be most unreliable [for study uroses] because when I make changes, I never go back and make the changes in the manuscrit... so that any errors that are in the manuscrits are still in the manuscrit.... I don t make cuts that I ve made, I don t ut in additions. I am just so hay to be rid of it, of the manuscrit itself, hysically. 1 Because of Schuman s less-than-fastidious aroach to the correction of his revious manuscrits, the author needed to comare the extant manuscrit materials of the concerto with available scores in coyists hands and the final ublished score of the 1959 version, as well as the actual recordings of the first- and second-version remieres in 1950 and 195. For the sake of clarity, the three versions of the Violin Concerto will be designated in this article by their first-erformance dates, i.e., the 1950 version, 17 the 195 version, 18 and the 1959 version. 19 There are no fewer than seven items included in the Library of Congress s holdings related to the Schuman Violin Concerto, all cataloged individually and listed under the call number ML9.S414: 1950 version Item 1. The original holograh manuscrit full score in three arts (Schuman seldom used the word movement in the work s various versions) with dates at the end of Part I: July 7, 194; and the end of Part III: July 1, Item 2. Holograh manuscrit score ages that were discarded from Item 1, Parts II and III, dated Summer 194; Revisions May Item. Revisions to Item 1, Part I, dated November 194. Item 4. Ozalid coy of coyist s manuscrit full score dated July 1, 1947, and including the changes indicated in Items 2 and. 195 version Item 5. Revisions to Item 4 of twenty-seven holograh manuscrit ages with the comoser s written comment 1st revisions for 2nd erformance dated June 22, Perlis, Ibid., William Schuman, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. Ozalid coy of coyist manuscrit score, Music Division, Library of Congress. ML9.S414 Item William Schuman, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, 195. Peter Jay Shar Secial Collections, The Juilliard School Library, New York, NY. 19. William Schuman, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (Bryn Mawr, PA: Merion Music, 190).

7 42 Notes, March version Item. Fifty-five holograh manuscrit score ages of the final revisions to the concerto with a notation in the comoser s hand at the end of Part II: Comosed July 1, 1947, Revised 1954, Final Version started July 7, 1957, comleted March, Item 7. An ozalid coy of coyist s score, with extensive corrections, which incororates most of the revisions from Item with a notation on the front cover: WS s score with corrections. Oct In addition, a coy of the score for the 195 erformance, 21 with many notations by the concert s conductor, Jean Morel, is held by the Lila Acheson Wallace Library of the Juilliard School; it was invaluable in determining the recise changes between the 1950 and 195 versions of the concerto. The author s references to the revisions of both the 195 and 1959 versions are based on this score. Finally, sound recordings of the 1950 remiere (rovided by the Historical Recordings Collections of the Fine Arts Library of the University of Texas at Austin) and of the 195 remiere (rovided by Juilliard s recording deartment) resented the oortunity to confirm the changes made by Schuman in the first ublic erformances of those two versions. All of Schuman s manuscrits and related materials were given to the Library of Congress over a eriod of years, and most are held in the William Schuman Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress. Schuman s corresondence and other archival documents are housed in the William Schuman Paers, Music Division, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations. The Peter Jay Shar Secial Collections of the Juilliard School Library also hold invaluable material relating to Schuman s time as resident of Juilliard, including musical scores used for Juilliard ublic erformances. In the coyist s manuscrit score for the 1950 erformance, 22 the concerto is divided into three arts (movements), indicating that the comletion of Part I was on 7 July 194, and that of Part III on 1 July Schuman would use the July 1947 date as the comletion date for the 1950 version of the concerto. The 1950 version contains the stand-alone Part II that would be discarded entirely by Schuman in subsequent versions. Conventional wisdom has indicated that the most significant changes to the concerto occurred when the comoser turned the work into a two-art concerto for the 195 version, and basically that is correct. But a close comarison be- 20. Music Division, Library of Congress. ML9.S See n Library of Congress, call number ML9.S414 Item 4.

8 The William Schuman Violin Concerto 4 tween the 1 July 1947 coyist s score and the final scores of the 195 and 1959 versions shows that Schuman made numerous articulation, dynamic, notational (enharmonic), orchestration, rhythmic, and melodic changes as well as deletions to Part I in his 195 and 1959 revisions. Although these alterations never amount to the fundamental structural changes seen in the Part II revisions, it is quite clear that Schuman sent considerable time and thought in refining Part I. When one hears the soulful and assionate Part II of the 1950 version, marked Andantino ( = 9), it seems unfortunate that he excised the entire movement from the concerto. Could it be, as suggested by Christoher Rouse, the distinguished comoser and a ersonal friend of Schuman, that Part II was deleted because it was too melodious and tonal? 2 This would reflect Schuman s comment, noted earlier, that the second movement was much too much in contrast with the rest of the work. 24 It will never be definitively known if Schuman was in any way influenced by the owerful cadre of American comosers who had embraced serialism and who often railed against older comositional ractices as tired and intellectually barren. However, as will be discussed later, there is no question that Schuman s music, with a few excetions, became more chromatic and dissonant as the 190s aroached. Part II (1950 version) is about six minutes in duration and begins with a languorous violin solo accomanied by divisi cellos in four arts, then incororating dolce lines in oboe and English horn, eventually joined by flute and three horns (fig. 1a). Schuman subsequently changes the accomanying texture by underinning the solo violin line with homohonic sustained string chords (fig. 1b), which lead to an accomanying chorale of intense beauty in woodwinds and strings (fig. 1c). The muted solo violin, accomanied by strings, then slowly brings the short movement to a hushed conclusion on a morendo final chord (fig. 1d). This slow movement would eventually find another life as the basis for the third movement, entitled Remembrance, of Schuman s 1980 work, Three Colloquies for French horn and orchestra. Christoher Rouse had suggested to Schuman that this slow movement of the Violin Concerto was a beautiful work worthy of ublic exosure. Schuman took Rouse s advice, but chromatically adjusted many of the existing melodies to roduce only a shadow of the original work. He also changed rhythms, melodies, harmonies, and orchestration, although overall the solo horn 2. Telehone conversation between the author and Christoher Rouse, Setember Perlis, 1.

9 44 Notes, March 2010 Oboe English Horn Andantino q = 9 Part II dolce Celli Soli 1-4 Andantino q = 9 Semlice dolce dolce dolce Ob. Eng. Hn. Celli Soli 1-4 dolce semre Fig. 1a version, Part II, mm. 1 8 Violin I Violin II Viola Contrabass 22 ma esress. cresc. f Fig. 1b version, Part II, mm

10 The William Schuman Violin Concerto 45 Flute 1-2 Oboe English Horn Clarinet 1-2 Bass Clarinet in Bb Bassoon Contrabassoon Violin I Violin II Viola Contrabass a2 m m m m m m m m m m div. m m div. div. unis. Fig. 1c version, Part II, mm. 9 unis. unis.

11 4 Notes, March Violin I morendo Violin II Viola Contrabass div. div. morendo morendo morendo morendo morendo Fig. 1d version, Part II, mm matches the original solo violin art quite closely. Interestingly, the beautiful chorale section first heard in Part II of the Violin Concerto (fig. 1c, mm. 7 9) is relicated almost exactly in Remembrance and brings a tonally-centered resite to what is otherwise a heavily chromaticallyinflected movement. Although Part II (1950) disaears in future versions of the concerto, it will be noted later that, in Part II of the subsequent 195 and 1959 versions, sections aear that are reminiscent of the beautiful, and rejected, slow movement. Part III (1950 version), marked Presto leggiero ( = ca ), begins with a solo cello line that eventually develos in counteroint with the rogressive insertion of the entire string section and ultimately winds and brass (fig. 2). Schuman creates a tumultuous aural setting that functions as an introduction to the solo violin, which does not enter until Part III s (1950) fifty-seventh measure. This entry of the solo violin in the 1950 version will be transmogrified by Schuman in the later versions into a quasi cadenza for the soloist. The new introductory material will eventually embrace mm of the 195 version and mm of the 1959 version. In the recording of the concerto s 1950 remiere, aroximately twenty-six seconds of Part III or sixty-eight measures (mm ) were deleted by Schuman from the original manuscrit score even before he subjected the concerto to major revisions in later years. Soon after its remiere, Schuman set about to modify the work significantly. In the 1954 manuscrit score (Item 5) Schuman includes a state-

12 The William Schuman Violin Concerto 47 Vln. I Vc. Presto leggiero q = circa Part III ff Fig version, Part III, mm ment on the first age, 1st revisions for 2nd erformance, and on the last age, Work comleted July 1, 1947 Revised last movement in Comleted June 22. W.S. 25 In this revision the comoser makes wholesale changes to what were Parts II and III of the work. As noted earlier, the first and most significant adjustment was changing the concerto from a three-movement to a two-movement work and deleting the existence of the original slow movement (Part II, 1950 version). Throughout Schuman s comositional career, in his large orchestral works he often rejected conventional structural forms (e.g., threemovement concertos, four-movement symhonies). His Third Symhony is divided into two arts, and has the closest structural relationshi to revised versions of the Violin Concerto. His Sixth Symhony is in one movement, and his Seventh and Ninth Symhonies are layed without ause between movements, while his Eighth Symhony has no break between the first and second movements. The 195 version s Part II, Adagio (/ = ca. 48), begins with a stentorian ronouncement in trumets, trombones, and strings followed in the second measure by the introduction of a slowly flowing eighth-note assage for solo violin marked dolce. The music eventually increases in intensity and moves toward the aforementioned quasi cadenza, in which the solo violin skittishly jums from one itch to another in an imrovisatory fashion. This section subsequently leads to the original cello line found at the very beginning of the 1950 version s Part III. In the 195 version Schuman adds twenty-four measures of new material to the beginning of the second movement of the concerto (figs. a, b). 25. William Schuman, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. Holograh manuscrit score, Music Division, Library of Congress. ML9.S414 Item 5.

13 48 Notes, March 2010 Trumet 1- Trombone 1- Violin I Violin II Viola Contrabass Adagio q (q.) = circa 48 f f Adagio q (q.) = circa 48 Sul G ff ff ff dolce ff ff div. II. oco cresc. Fig. a. 195 version, Part II, mm. 1 5 Ex. b. 195 version, Part II, mm Viola 22 Temo I (q = 48) Presto div. f (change bows as needed) ff rit. molto div. (change bows as needed) f Presto leggiero q = circa 10 (original beginning to Part III of 1950 version) Fig. b. 195 version, Part II, mm The next significant change occurs in the 1950 version s Part III, m. 10 (the 195 version s Part II, m. 10), where Schuman adds a more animated solo violin line that naturally leads into the Allegretto ( = ca. 7), which is ket intact from the original version, where, however, no allegretto marking exists (figs. 4a, 4b). Schuman then adds further intensity to the conclusion by modifying the score in the 1950 version s Part III, m. 44 (the 195 version s Part II, m. 12), and writing an accelerando ( = ca. 112) that juxtaoses the solo violin in sextulets and trilets against trilet figures in the winds and

14 . 4a version, Part III, mm q. = circa 7 10 Deliberate (hold back) ff Violin I f Violin II Trombone 1- Viola Contrabass f f f f x. 4b. 195 version, Part II, mm Trombone 1-10 ritardando f Allegretto q. = circa 7 Deliberate (hold back) Violin I Violin II f Viola Contrabass f f f f The William Schuman Violin Concerto 49 Fig. 4a version, Part III, mm Fig. 4b. 195 version, Part II, mm. 10 5

15 470 Notes, March 2010 strings, driving the concerto to an even more bombastic end than in the 1950 version (figs. 5a, 5b). This 195 version shows Schuman attemting to focus the intensity of the concerto and deleting what he clearly felt was a slow movement of insufficient resence, albeit quite beautiful in its own right. The newly comosed oening to the 195 Part II also continues the assionate energy develoed at the conclusion of Part I, although the comoser quickly lowers the tension through a diminuendo from to in the brass and strings. What Schuman did not change is the rodigious cadenza for solo violin in Part I. In fact, the comoser exressed great ride that throughout the many revisions of the concerto not a note of the cadenza was ever changed. 2 Violinists who layed the solo art were enthusiastic in their raise of how well the cadenza was shaed. Its virtuoso turns and introsective measures rove Schuman s intimate knowledge of the violin, and it stands as one of his finest comositional achievements. It is with the final revisions of the concerto, comleted on March 1958, that Schuman made the most substantial changes to Part II. The concerto s new and final version was erformed on 9 August 1959, in Asen, Colorado. Although changes in Part I of the 195 version were not as many as in Part II, Schuman continued to make small adjustments in this oening movement. He changed the musical material of the solo violin in mm (same measures in both the 195 and 1959 versions), although several measures of the orchestral accomaniment remain unchanged in both of those versions. In the 195 version at m. 1 the solo violin lays a tranquillo assage (fig. a) that is deleted entirely in the 1959 version. In the 1959 version the violin enters at the section marked Meno mosso ( = ca. 9; = ca. 18), at m. 7, resenting a solo violin art comletely different from the 195 version until the two versions mesh at m. 7 with a slight modification in dynamics ( to ) between the two (fig. b). A change is also made to the rominent trumet art in mm (same measures in both versions; figs. 7a, 7b). It is worth noting that the molto tranquillo section (mm in both the 195 and 1959 versions) resents a similar aesthetic to the discarded Part II of the 1950 version. Otherwise, there are no additional significant changes in Part I between the 195 and 1959 versions, only adjustments to dynamics, hrasing, or use of mute. With the remarkable coda at the end of the movement, this first art of the concerto truly reresents a comositional tour de force on Schuman s art. 2. Perlis, 17.

16 The William Schuman Violin Concerto 471 Bassoon & C. Bsn Horn in F Trumet 1- Trombone 1- Timani Violin I Violin II Viola Contrabass 44 h = circa 112 ff ff h = circa 112 ff div. Fig. 5a version, Part III, mm. 44 4

17 472 Notes, March b. 95 ve s o,,. 5. Flute 1-2 Oboe 1-2 English Horn 12 accelerando h = circa 112 a2 f f ff ff a2 Clarinet in Bb 1- Bass Clarinet in Bb Bassoon 1-2 f ff f ff Contrabassoon f ff f ff Timani accelerando h = circa 112 Violin I f ff Violin II Viola f ff f ff f ff Contrabass f ff Fig. 5b. 195 version, Part II, mm f f

18 The William Schuman Violin Concerto Tranquillo dolce esr. f Poco esressivo Fig. a. 195 version, Part I, mm. 1 7 (solo violin only) 1 70 Meno mosso (h = ca. 9; q = 18) ressing forward m dolce, esr. cresc. oco a oco cresc. Fig. b version, Part I, mm. 1 7 (solo violin only) Trumet I 115 (con sordino) m exressivo Fig. 7a. 195 version, Part I, mm (solo trumet only) 7b version, Part I, mm (solo trumet only). Trumet I 115 con sordino solo m esr. dolce cantabile Fig. 7b version, Part I, mm (solo trumet only) m

19 474 Notes, March 2010 It is, of course, with Part II that one sees the considerable changes Schu man made for the final version of the work. As noted earlier, when the comoser first deleted the 1950 version s second movement, he added twenty-four measures to create the beginning of the 195 version s Part II. In the 1959 version he deletes those measures entirely and creates eighty new measures in their lace. The oening of the 1959 version s Part II is grander and more ominous than that of the 195 version, esecially with the resence of the threatening timani art over quietly sustained strings leading to the entrance of the solo violin at m.. The solo violin s extended slow melody is also more develoed and soulful than in the 195 version, bringing to mind the discarded 1950 Part II (fig. 8; see also fig. a). At the beginning of Part II in both the 195 and 1959 revisions, the comoser writes rominent brass arts. Although it could be argued that the enlarged 1959 version rovides a brass resence that is sonically out of balance with the delicacy of the violin, Schuman s use of brass choirs, such as that heard at the very beginning of the movement at, sulies the coloring and character for much of the movement. It should also be noted that at m. 50 of the 1959 version, the comoser incororates verbatim the music that begins at m. 9 of the 195 version, with the slight modification in orchestration of deleting the second and third trombone arts and adding cello and double bass sustained chords below trumet and trombone lines. This first section of Part II then moves to the solo violin s quasi cadenza, which is exactly the same for the first five measures in both the 195 and 1959 versions. It is at the conclusion of the quasi cadenza at the Temo I (195: m. 22; 1959: m. 5) that Schuman makes lengthier changes to the 1959 score and considerably extends the solo violin art in a cadenzalike line with sustained string accomaniment (mm. 5 80), eventually adding brass and ercussion before finally arriving at the contrauntal section for cellos that was the beginning of the original (1950) version of Part III of the concerto (fig. 9; see also fig. b). A subsequent small revision occurs in mm (195)/mm (1959). The solo violin in the 1959 version lays a variant of the 195 solo line of roughly the same number of measures. This short section, in articular, seemed vexing for Schuman and he needed all his revisions to get it right. In addition, in the 1959 version Schuman adds the marking Meno mosso ( = ca. 7) at m. 18 on the manuscrit score age dated March He adds the term a la recitativo to the Meno mosso only in the corrected coyist s manuscrit score of October 1959, after the first erformance of the 1959 version. All three versions ultimately lead into the Allegretto section on a fermata D (fig. 10; see also figs. 4a, 4b).

20 The William Schuman Violin Concerto 475 Ex version, Part II, mm. 1-. Horn 1-4 Trumet 1- Trombone 1- Introduzione adagio h = ca. 48 (q = circa 9) sonoro molto a sonoro molto sonoro molto II (sost.) (sost.) (sost.) Timani Percussion Introduzione adagio h = ca. 48 (q = circa 9) solo wooden mallets B. Dr. Cymb. (let ring) Fig version, Part II, mm. 1 Schuman s next revision is by far the longest in the movement, stretching for 115 measures (mm ) in the 1959 version, and sanning mm in the 195 version. There are significant changes in the orchestration of the accomaniment, as well as a considerable modification of the solo violin art, although the layful quality of the 195 version remains. In evaluating the 195 version of this section, one hears a certain listless quality to both the accomaniment and the solo line that Schuman changes for the better. The rhythmic dotted figures aearing at the beginning of this section seem reetitive and lacking in energy. The longerlined melody that the solo violin begins at m. 19 (195) has increased tension, but the accomaniment is still rather dry and eisodic. This feeling continues at m. 21 (195) and beyond, where both solo line and accomaniment resent highly reetitive versions of earlier music, creating a tye of stasis with which the comoser was obviously not satisfied. Finally, the buildu to the section marked in the woodwind, brass, and ercussion arts only wild (m. 240, 195/m. 2, 1959), gives inadequate rearation for the eventual bombast to be heard in this new section. Beginning at m. 221 (1959), Schuman relaces the quadrulet rhythmic figures of the 195 version with a more stable accomaniment emhasizing the rincial beats of each measure but occasionally adding dulets and trilets to the solo line and accomanying strings (figs. 11a, 11b).

21 47 Notes, March 2010 Solo Violin Viola 4 Temo I q = ca. 48 (e= ca. 9) intenzionato div. f Change bows as needed to Presto subito Temo I sustain volume f div. deliberatemente Hn. 1-4 Solo Violin Vla. Vc. Solo Violin Vc. 71 oco a oco cresc. subito B. Dr. ff ff ff ff accelerando Presto leggiero q = circa 9 77 attacca q = circa 10 Hn. 1-4 f subito f subito Tr. 1-2 a2 f subito Tbn. 1- f subito Tim. snare drum rim shot Perc. accelerando q = circa 9 Poco accel. Presto leggiero q = circa 10 (original beginning to Part III of 1950 version) Fig version, Part II, mm. 4 82

22 The William Schuman Violin Concerto 477 Violin I Violin II Viola Contrabass Tbn. 2 Vln. Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. Cb. 18 Meno mosso, a la recitativo (h = ca. 7) f dolce, esressivo f f f f f rit. rit. m Allegretto (q. = ca. 7) Allegretto (q. = ca. 7) deliberate (hold back) Fig version, Part II, mm Schuman writes what he notes is a dialogue between solo violin and violin I 27 (this instruction aears only in the coyist s manuscrit score of October 1959), 28 that adds not only to the layfulness but also the cohesion of this section. He then creates a jaunty leggiero section (m. 22, 1959) as the solo violin resents raid sixteenth- and eighth-note figures over an accomaniment of three trombones laying staccato eighth notes (fig. 12). At m. 284 (1959) the solo violin resents a forceful melodic line in half notes, reminiscent of the 195 version of this section (figs. 1a, 1b). 27. Page 81 in the 190 ublished score (n. 19). 28. William Schuman, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. Ozalid coy of coyist manuscrit score, Music Division, Library of Congress. ML9.S414 Item 7.

23 478 Notes, March Cl. 2 Bass Cl. 1 Bsn. 2 Violin I Violin II f ff 2 () Viola div Contrabass Fig. 11a. 195 version, Part II, mm. 158 Ex. 11b version, Part II, mm Violin I Violin II Viola Contrabass izz. q. = ca f q. = ca 12 f izz. f f f f 2 Fig. 11b version, Part II, mm izz. 2 2 izz. 2 2 izz

24 The William Schuman Violin Concerto 479 Trombone 1-22 leggiero leggiero m h = h h = h Fig version, Part II, mm Picc. 1 Fl. 2 1 Cl. 2 1 Bsn. 2 C. Bsn. 1 2 Hns. 4 Trombone 1- Violin I Violin II Viola Contrabass 19 Sul G ff izz. f col legno Fig. 1a. 195 version, Part II, mm x. 1b version, Part II, mm Trombone 1- m m m f cantabile dolce Fig. 1b version, Part II, mm

25 480 Notes, March 2010 Beginning at m. 29 (1959) Schuman then begins to intensify the solo violin art, inexorably moving to the bombastic brass trilets (mm. 25 2, etc., 1959) heard in earlier versions of the concerto. The ensuing (reviously noted) section, marked wild, sonoro molto, and fervente ( = ca ), reresents one of the concerto s most dramatic moments, with an accelerando leading to a molto ritard including chords, rim shots, and horn, trumet, and woodwind lines reminiscent of a Hollywood score for a Roman chariot race. The comoser was clearly enamored of this section, raucous as it may be, and ket it in all versions of the concerto. As the assion of this section dissiates, Schuman adds an additional eight measures of new music (1959, mm. 45 5) for accomanying strings and winds before rerising the solo violin line found in m. 20 (195)/m. 54 (1959). Finally, Schuman considerably extends and strengthens the concerto s ending. In the 195 score the coda is comosed of fourteen measures (mm. 25 8), which are exanded to thirty (mm ) in the 1959 version. Schuman writes driving, roulsive eighth-note figures in the solo violin, as oosed to trilets and rhythms in the 195 version (fig. 14a), which lack the roulsive quality of the newer version (fig. 14b). Ultimately Schuman ushes the energy level to the maximum in his final version, adding rim shots, chimes, brass chords, all concluding on a major chord (in this case F major), a trademark of Schuman s comositions during this eriod. For the sake of comleteness it should be noted that Schuman made numerous but minor changes, involving mostly hrasing marks and enharmonic shifts, to the coyist s manuscrit score dated October 1959, after the remiere of the final version in Asen in August The question that shadows Schuman s various revisions of the concerto is that of why he was motivated to continually readdress this articular comosition. As noted earlier, Schuman was not a comoser who tinkered with his scores. As an active arts administrator, as well as a frequently-commissioned comoser, he famously ket a diary of the number of hours he comosed each year, contending that a minimum of six hundred annual hours would be adequate for him to roduce the works he wished to create. Also, he rarely shared his comositional drafts with other comosers. He was rofessionally and ersonally quite close to Aaron Coland and Leonard Bernstein, but Schuman s extraordinary self-confidence some would say hubris allowed him to comose his works with an assurance that left little room for critiques from colleagues. Yet he sought out Coland to corroborate his concerns about this work. Why did the Violin Concerto generate a rare comositional introsection?

26 The William Schuman Violin Concerto x. 14b version, Part Fig. II, mm. 14a (solo version, violin Part only). II, mm (solo violin only) etc h = ca. 10 ff leggiero 422 etc. Fig. 14b version, Part II, mm (solo violin only) Schuman s comments in his oral histories regarding the concerto s revisions are quite nonsecific. A fuller answer may lie in the unique circumstances of the work s evolution. When Dushkin revented the erformance of the concerto during the three years of exclusivity included in the commission contract, Schuman was forced to ut the work aside and develo new comositions. It was in the late 1940s and the 1950s that Schuman s comositional style changed significantly, from the extroverted, tonally-direct aesthetic of his American Festival Overture (199) 29 and the Third (1941) and Fifth (194) Symhonies to the more dissonant and chromatically-inflected Night Journey (1947) and esecially the Sixth Symhony (1949). During Schuman s collaborations with the great twentieth-century choreograhers Antony Tudor Undertow (1945) and Martha Graham Night Journey, Judith (1950), Voyage for a Theater (195) and, eventually, The Witch of Endor (195) the comoser was influenced by the sychologically comlex and forbidding stories that rovided the dramatic underinnings for the ballets. One sees here an 29. Parenthesized dates of comositions other than the Violin Concerto refer to first erformances rather than dates of comletion.

27 482 Notes, March 2010 evolution of his comositional aroach from diatonic to chromatic textures and comlex rhythmic and harmonic juxtaositions, which make his works edgier and less audience-accessible. Schuman s first ballet for Graham, Night Journey, has a distinctly more ominous ethos than does his earlier work with Tudor, Undertow, although the Tudor ballet, dealing with rae and murder, certainly could have motivated Schuman to exlore greater dissonance. His Sixth Symhony of 1949 is a comlex and densely-constructed work, comressed into one movement aroximately twenty-eight minutes long. It can be seen as craggy, dark, and emotionally imenetrable, but it stands as one of Schuman s finest comositions for its structural cohesion and musical intensity. It also exists as a kind of comositional bridge from his earlier to his later works, exuding a new level of athos and exressivity. In turn, the Fourth String Quartet (1950) reresents a break from Schuman s earlier comositional aroach. Aaron Coland summed u the transformation best by commenting, I cannot remember another work of Schuman that strikes so somber a note.... a more tentative exressivity has taken over; a darker, more forbidding tone that seems far different from the basically otimistic sometimes boyishly otimistic tone of his earlier music. 0 In the midst of this comositional transition, the first version of the Violin Concerto was remiered. It seems not illogical to suggest that its tuneful, romantic Part II was no longer looked uon by Schuman as reresentative of his current musical voice and therefore was discarded in favor of an evolving new aesthetic. Between 1950 and 1959 Schuman wrote more than ten new works or arrangements, which ranged from his folksy baseball oera, The Mighty Casey (195), to a one-movement work of great symhonic ower, Credendum (1955), to his most audience-friendly and engaging New England Tritych (195), to his haunting choral work, Carols of Death (1959) with text by Walt Whitman. Although Schuman utilized an eclectic array of musical styles during this eriod, his continuing efforts to distill the Violin Concerto in versions two and three focused on intensifying the resence of the solo violin, which is required not only to lay with athos and feeling, but also to drive the work forward in the more animated sections and esecially at its conclusion. In addition, the quasi cadenza for solo violin in Part II (195) adds a rhythmically comlex and imrovisatory-tye line filled 0. Aaron Coland, William Schuman (1951), in Coland on Music (New York: Doubleday, 190), 2.

28 The William Schuman Violin Concerto 48 with an unexected layfulness missing in the 1950 version. Schuman also has no qualms about roviding a muscular brass resence that occasionally enlarges the sonic environment to Mahlerian roortions, although he always succeeds in bringing the accomaniment down to a dynamic level that never overwhelms the solo violin. This distinctive brass resence in Part II of the later versions is reflected in his aroach to the brass arts in New England Tritych and esecially in the bombastic brass writing in Credendum. Schuman would continue to emhasize chromatically dense and somber textures in his later comositions. His last four symhonies No. 7 (190), No. 8 (192), No. 9 (199), and No. 10 (197) all encomass an ominous and dissonant aural environment, as do such works as Amaryllis: Variations for String Trio (194), To Thee Old Cause (198), The Young Dead Soldiers (197), and Three Colloquies (1980). Ultimately, Schuman was a young comoser who moved to middle age during the gestation of this work. One has to admire his ability to maintain the sirit of youthful vigor throughout the concerto s revisions. In his Violin Concerto Schuman combines his skills as a symhonist and his knowledge of the violin to create a work of athos, assion, and drive that showcases the virtuosic and exressive qualities of the solo instrument. In articular, Schuman liberates the solo violin line from the harmonic underinnings in the orchestra, allowing the rincial melodic elements of the concerto, as heard in the solo violin, to float above the accomaniment. Schuman s extensive editing of the work gives it a focus and assion that merits consideration of the Violin Concerto as one of his most successful and masterfully comosed works and one of the finest violin concertos of the twentieth century. ABSTRACT The saga of the comosition and revisions of William Schuman s Violin Concerto sans aroximately fourteen years, from 194 to The genesis of this work reresents a rare and lengthy rocess for Schuman. Evidence in his letters and oral histories, a close examination of the extensive manuscrit and audio sources of the concerto s three versions, and a consideration of the comoser s overall musical outut during this time eriod rovide an intriguing look into the mind of Schuman as he comosed this most affecting work. In his Violin Concerto Schuman combines his skills as a symhonist and his knowledge of the violin to create a work of athos, assion, and drive that showcases the virtuosic and exressive qualities of the solo instrument. In articular, Schuman liberates the solo violin line from the harmonic

29 484 Notes, March 2010 underinnings in the orchestra, allowing the rincial melodic elements of the concerto, as heard in the solo violin, to float above the accomaniment. Schuman s extensive editing of the work gives it a focus and assion that merits consideration of the Violin Concerto as one of his most successful and masterfully comosed works and one of the finest violin concertos of the twentieth century.