Ferdinand David

[scarpia]

 He wrote five violin concertos. I see that his 4th and 5th violin concertos were recorded by Hyperion a few years back. I have not gotten that CD yet. But I was looking at Montreal area concerts and see Les Concerts de la Métropole is doing his 5th Concerto Friday. A treat! I will be there. But I see Wiki says he composed two symphonies and an opera. I see no other references to those works. Is that a mistake? Does anyone know the works of Ferdinand David?

[Alan Howe]

If you do a search of the entire site, you'll find quite a lot about David. Be careful not to mix him up with Félicien, though!

[Gareth Vaughan]

I hope that Hyperion will eventually do the other VCs by David. All the performing material is available in Fleisher, together with three sets of Variations for violin and orchestra. I like his work very much.

[Claude Torres]

Two other CDs of Music by Ferdinand David are available

- Solo violin works : Naxos 8573048
- Works for violin and piano : MDG 903 1774-6

C.T.

[TerraEpon]

And don't forget the Liszt piano transcription of violin etudes. It's of course on the Hyperion Liszt series, and I think Naxos recorded it too.

Plus he wrote one of the most well known pieces for trombone and orchestra (indeed!), a concertino. -- recorded a few times.

[Claude Torres]

Ferdinand David composed about 50 works, including 20 virtuso studies for solo violin (based on Moscheles, 24 Studies, Op. 70)
He was Mendelssohn's concertmaster at the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and premiered Mendelssohn's most popular work, the Violin Concerto.

Works with Opus number
Op.  1:
Op.  2: Introduction et variations brillantes sur un thème original, for violin with orchestra, with quartet or with piano (pub. Hoffmeister, ca. 1836)
Op.  3: Concertino No.1 in A Major for violin and orchestra
Op.  4: Concertino for Trombone and Orchestra (Wikipedia Information)
Op.  5: Introduction et variations sur le thème "Je suis le petit tambour", for violin and piano
Op.  6: Introduction et variations sur un thème russe, in E major, for violin and orchestra (ca. 1838) ([1])
Op.  7: Introduction, adagio et rondeau for orchestra
Op.  8: Introduction and Variations in B-flat on the Sehnsuchts-Waltz of Franz Schubert, for Clarinet and Piano
Op.  9: 6 caprices for solo violin
Op.10: Violin Concerto No. 1 in E minor
Op.11: Introduction et variations sur un thème de Mozart, for violin and orchestra (on Mozart's An Chloe, KV 524)
Op.12: Concertino in B-flat for Bassoon or Viola with accompaniment for Orchestra or Piano
Op.13: Introduction et variations sur un thème original
Op.14: Violin Concerto No. 2 in D major (Kistner, ca. 1842)
Op.15: Introduction et Variations sur un thème de Schubert ("Das Lob der Thränen") for violin and orchestra (or piano)
Op.16: Andante et Scherzo Capriccioso, for violin and piano
Op.17: Violin Concerto No. 3 in A minor
Op.18: Variations de concert sur un thème original, for violin and orchestra
Op.19: Introduction et variations brilliantes for violin and orchestra
Op.20: Six caprices for violin with orchestral or pianoforte accompaniment (Leipzig: Kistner, ca. 1845)
Op.21: Introduction et Variations (air écossais), for violin and orchestra
Op.22: Concert-Polonaise for violin and orchestra
Op.23: Violin Concerto No.4 in E major
Op.24: 12 Salonstücke für Violine und Klavier
- Heft I: Präludium, Scherzo, Tanz, Romanze;
- Heft II: Rondo, Ballade, Lied, Marsch;
- Heft III: Impromptu, Canon, Ständchen, Capriccio
Op.25: Salon-Duett für Violine und Klavier über ein Lied von E. Haase
Op.26: 2 Books of Lieder with Piano, Book I
Op.27: 2 Books of Lieder with Piano, Book II
Op.28: 5 Salonstücke für Violine und Klavier
Op.29: 6 Lieder
Op.30: Bunte Reihe (24 pieces for violin and piano)
Op.31: 6 Lieder
Op.32: String Quartet in A minor
Op.33: Psalm (Mein Aug' erheb' ich) f. 2 Soprane m. Pfte. (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1852)
Op.34: Seven pieces for cello and piano
Op.35: Violin Concerto No.5 in D minor
Op.36: Kammerstücke for violin and piano
Op.37: Marches for piano 4-hands
Op.38: 8 Kammerstücke für Violine und Klavier (or String Sextet)
Op.39: Dur und Moll: 25 Etüden, Capricen und Charakterstücke in allen Tonarten für die Violine allein oder mit Pianofortebegleitung
Op.40: Impromptus en forme de valse (for violin and piano. Ca. 1861)
Op.41: Nachklänge, 15 pieces for violin and piano
Op.42: Festmarsch for orchestra (pub. 1873 by Kistner)
Op.43: Suite for violin and piano
Op.44: Zur Violinschule : 24 Etüden für Anfänger in der ersten Lage : mit Begleitung einer zweiten Violine ad libi[t]um
Op.45: Zur Violinschule : 18 Etüden mit Benutzung der höheren Lagen und Begleitung einer 2ten Violine
Op.46: Aus der Ferienzeit for Violin and Piano (Book 1)
Op.47: Aus der Ferienzeit for Violin and Piano (Book 2)
Op.48: Aus der Ferienzeit for Violin and Piano (Book 3)
Op.49: Aus der Ferienzeit for Violin and Piano (Book 4)
Op.50: Aus der Ferienzeit for Violin and Piano (Book 5)

Arrangments by Ferdinand David : http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:David,_Ferdinand
Ciaccona (David, Ferdinand EDITOR)
Ciaccona (also known as the Vitali Chaconne) sometimes incorrectly attributed to Ferdinand David.
True authorship unknown, earliest manuscript c.1710-1730 located in Sachsische Landesbibliothek in Dresdin Ms Mus 2037/R-1, and [2] )

Works without opus number

Canon for 3 violins (1852)
Violin school (1863)

C.T.

[matesic]

The String Sextet Op38, which seems to share its opus number with 8 chamber pieces for violin and piano, is a very exciting work for the almost unique combination of 3 violins, 1 viola and 2 cellos. Undeniably Mendelssohnian in the best sense it certainly deserves to be performed, maybe in a sextet programme where one player can switch from viola to violin?
http://imslp.org/wiki/String_Sextet,_Op.38_(David,_Ferdinand)

[Claude Torres]

Ferdinand David : String Sextet Op.38
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKdnjkuT9vc

[matesic]

Well, at least it's a real performance, unfortunately at about half tempo!

[JimL]

From what I recall, I believe the opera, David's sole effort in the genre was a failure, no doubt for the same reason most operas of the period failed - they were based on weak stories and plays.  If there were 2 symphonies (and I see no reason to doubt it), they must both have been unpublished and are WoO.  Where they may reside and in what form is the big question.

[JimL]

The Op. 16 Andante and Scherzo capriccioso also exists in orchestral form and was the companion to the 2 concertos on the Hyperion disc.  And let's not forget that Joachim was his protege!

[Tom Case]

It may interest readers to know that Paul David, son of Ferdinand, and on the recommendation of his friend William Sterndale Bennett was appointed the first director of music at Uppingham School and remained there for many years.  One of the music buldings there is named after him.

[scarpia]

It's a nifty concerto! A great concert all around - and only $15. I was surprised at how good the orchestra was. Maybe the reverberant church acoustics covered some problems. About 35 musicians - about the same number of people were in the audience. A shame! They finished with the Wagner Symphony - a sung composer's unsung symphony. Too repetitive but tuneful.