Structure
The concerto lasts around 35 minutes and has four movements, with a cadenza linking the final two:
- Nocturne: Moderato - A semi-homage to the first movement of Elgar's Cello Concerto.
- Scherzo: Allegro - Demonic dance. The DSCH motif can be heard in the background at times, with a final appearance near the end in the solo violin part.
- Passacaglia: Andante - Cadenza (attacca) - Utilizes Beethoven's fate motif, incorporating it into the pre-burlesque cadenza. The DSCH motif is incorporated into a set of chords in the cadenza.
- Burlesque: Allegro con brio - Presto - The theme in the solo violin's entrance resembles that of the solo flute's entrance in Stravinsky's Petrouchka.
Read more about this topic: Violin Concerto No. 1 (Shostakovich)
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