The Australian violin concerto

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to bring to the fore the wonderful and diverse music literature of the Australian violin concerto. There are at least forty-eight works in the genre, most of them completely unknown to laymen and violinists alike. Seven fine works by Arthur Benjamin, Alfred Hill, Raymond Hanson, Margaret Sutherland, Larry Sitsky, Ross Edwards and Alexander Negerevich have been chosen for study. From 1931, they represent seventy years of Australian musical history from the first ever violin concerto written by an Australian-born composer, Arthur Benjamin to Alexander Negerevich’s Violin Concerto of 2002. The background, instrumentation, and some technical and interpretive ideas relating to each of the seven works, are all discussed in addition to an in-depth analysis which also includes comments on various recorded performances. The study also discusses the originality of the works and relates them to the various styles of international composition. It also briefly notes the appearance of some promising new works which are making a global impact on the music scene and seem to be ushering in a new 'Golden Age' of the Australian violin concerto in the first decade of the 21st century.