Performance Perspectives in Jenő Hubay's Violin Concertos

Abstract

Jenő Hubay (1858–1937) attained his greatest stature as the founder of the Hungarian Violin School. Although Hubay's name is mostly mentioned in violin pedagogy, he was also a popular composer during his lifetime. He composed over 300 violin works, and his role as composer is underestimated unlike those of contemporaries such as Eugène Ysaÿe. The present paper focuses on the performance perspectives in Hubay's violin concertos, by examining the historical background of each concerto, followed by a systematic approach to violin and musical techniques. This includes guidelines for determining tempo, dynamics/dynamic planning, bowing/articulation, tempo rubato, and portamenti/vibrato to create a style of performance appropriate to Hubay's works.