Concerto awaiting world premiere

Edited: March 24, 2022, 4:05 PM · Anthony Burgess, the author of "A Clockwork Orange", was a prolific composer (about 250 works) who preferred to think of himself as a composer who also wrote books, but it seems the reality was the other way round!

I've looked at Burgess's entry in Wikipedia but there seems to be no mention of the violin concerto. However, Wikipedia lists only a selection from his musical works.

Was the concerto written for Menuhin at Menuhin's request? Or was it perhaps offered instead? I expect soloists of Menuhin's calibre get any number of new compositions offered to them, and a selection/rejection has to be made to prune the list to manageable levels to tie in with the soloist's busy life. Or perhaps the Burgess concerto didn't quite make the grade but might have been put to one side "just in case". We'll probably never know until and if documentary evidence one way or the other turns up.

March 24, 2022, 4:32 PM · Menuhin should certainly have had a skilled protege who would have been happy to debut a new concerto.

Edited: March 24, 2022, 5:23 PM · From the entry on anthonyburgess.org it appears he and Menuhin became friends and their friendship "resulted in" the concerto but there's no suggestion that Menuhin commissioned it or even suggested Burgess write it. Menuhin's politely discouraging response; "..not this year, or possibly even next. I should like to suggest that I should one day perform it" gives a pretty strong sense of his embarrassment.

March 24, 2022, 6:02 PM · Trevor wrote:
"I expect soloists of Menuhin's calibre get any number of new compositions offered to them, and a selection/rejection has to be made to prune the list to manageable levels to tie in with the soloist's busy life."

Yup, no shortage of free violins too.

March 24, 2022, 6:07 PM · David, I get free textbooks! Too bad it's unethical to resell them.

March 24, 2022, 9:00 PM · Anyone had a look at the concerto, of have an opinion on Burgess’s other work? Apart from the violins, of course!

March 25, 2022, 12:29 AM · Paul, I'm getting free drug samples for benign prostate enlargement and erectile dysfunction. What a mess that I'm not advanced enough to really enjoy their benefit...

Edited: March 25, 2022, 2:04 AM · Reading between the lines a bit more, it appears the "friendship" between Menuhin and Burgess was more like hero worship. I expect Menuhin had a cupboard full of violins made by hopeful amateurs.

March 25, 2022, 7:27 AM · Spare violins can always be donated to organizations who provide them to the less fortunate.

March 25, 2022, 7:34 AM · So no volunteers eh?