On This Day!
1806 -- Premiere of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in Vienna with violin soloist Franz Clement, for whom Beethoven wrote the piece. Some background: "Franz Clement was a talented violinist of Beethoven's day. At the premiere December 23, 1806, Clement declared that the concerto's opening movement would be played prior to intermission, and its conclusion following intermission. No one today would think of dissecting a piece in this fashion, but it was common practice at the time. This separation of the work into two portions explains why, between movements of the concerto, Clement indulged himself and his audience by playing a solo fantasia while holding his violin upside-down. These gravity-defying acrobatics did not arise from a lack of reverence for Beethoven's effort, but rather were only a pre-intermission encore. Bring them back for more, the stunt seems to say, so they can appreciate the rest of the concerto, too. Indeed, the audience received the new work enthusiastically, though the critics were less appreciative. "Tiring" and "commonplace" were amongst the adjectives used to describe the piece, which has since been accepted as one of Beethoven's most gracious and masterful works". The work is dedicated to Beethoven’s boyhood friend, Stephan von Breuning,
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'Truth and beauty joined'
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'Truth and beauty joined'