James Ehnes: ‘You should never be scared of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto’

I’ve known the Beethoven Violin Concerto for as long as I can remember. My parents had several recordings that I listened to, but I was about seven when I first heard it in concert. Dmitry Sitkovetsky came to play with the Winnipeg Symphony in my home town of Brandon, Manitoba, and although I already knew it was a beautiful piece, that day it came alive for me.

 Two moments in particular stood out: the soloist’s entrance in the first movement, which drew everyone together into a suddenly intimate experience (and during the orchestra tutti I’d been thinking, ‘I don’t understand – is he going to play?’). Secondly, the orchestral entrance at the end of the first movement cadenza was so magical and beautiful, it really captured my imagination.

It’s an incredibly uplifting and optimistic piece of music – one that makes you feel good about mankind. I wasn’t tempted to practise the concerto immediately – I’d only been playing for a couple of years anyway! I first started to study it when I was 15. I was very fortunate that the conductor Victor Feldbrill took an interest in my playing around that time, and…