Brahms' Violin Concerto in D Major

By the time Brahms began work on this marvelous violin concerto in 1878, he and Joseph Joachim had been friends for 25 years. One of the most outstanding musicians of the era, Joachim won fame as violinist, chamber musician, conductor, and composer. Like Brahms, he wore conservative musical colors. Both of them favored the Classical poise and purity of Beethoven, over the Romantic excess of such contemporary composers as Berlioz, Liszt and Wagner...