Of all the classical music genres, the violin concerto is one that is especially loved and Carl Vine’s Violin Concerto, premiered at the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House in July 2011, is a work that rightly demands a cherished place in this repertoire. The piece combines stunning orchestration with a solo part that soars above the other instruments in a manner reminiscent of Vaughan Williams’ much-loved Lark Ascending. However, unlike the Vaughan Williams, Vine explains that “this is ‘pure’ music that uses no external imagery, allusion, narrative or poetry.”
The soloist at the first performance was the acclaimed violinist Dene Olding, accompanied by the Australian Youth Orchestra and conductor Thomas Dausgaard.
'Vine's two-movement concerto... is a restrained, introspective piece. For the most part, the rhapsodic solo violin floats above a gentle orchestral accompaniment. Vine's compositional springboard, he says, was "the curious quality often achieved by solo violin accompanied by an orchestra playing softly". Hence, full orchestral tuttis are used sparingly and Vine largely treats the orchestra as an ever-changing series of chamber ensembles. Gently throbbing strings and fluttering woodwind figures dominate, periodically coloured by muted brass chords and tinkling washes of harp and tuned percussion.'
The Australian (Murray Black) July 22, 2011
'Carl Vine's Violin Concerto, receiving its first performance under Dene Olding, is in two movements, each of which splits into three parts. The first movement showed Vine's maturity as an orchestrator. Its structure had a classical balance. With a prominent ruminating theme from the violin at the start and end (reminiscent, in its tentative phrase structure, of Elgar's ''Enigma'' theme), the movement had the periodic shape of a set of variations and was among the best of Vine's recent music.'
The Sydeny Morning Herald (Peter McCallum) July 22, 2011