In January 1943 the famous violinist Mischa Elman heard Martinů's First Symphony , H 289, in a performance by the Boston Symphony in New York, and this experience led him to commission a new work from Martini for his repertoire. At his meeting with Elman the composer asked him to play several samples from his repertoire, because he had never heard before and didn't know the specifics of his playing. While Elman played he listened quietly, made no comments, and according to the violinist's recollection looked almost as though he were mentally somewhere else. Then he thanked him and left without any particular reaction. Elman assumed he had hit upon an eccentric and regarded the matter as lost Two months later, however, he was able to enjoy a finished work in which to his surprise he found many elements characteristic of his manner of playing. At the violinist's request Martino added a cadenza in the first movement.
For the premiere of the concerto Martinů wrote a short commentary in which among other things he said: "The idea for this concerto presented itself to me with the following order: Andante, a broad lyric song of great intensity which leads to an Allegro exploiting the technique and the virtuosity of the instrument, and has the aspect of a single-movement composition. The definitive form complies with concerto structure. I have preserved its grave character, lyric in the first part [Andante]; and even in the middle Allegro the Andante theme returns to end the movement. The second part is a sort of point of rest, a bridge progressing towards the Allegro finale. It is an Intermezzo Moderato, almost bucolic, accompanied by only a part of the orchestra and progressing attacca into the finale, which is Allegro. This favors the technique ofthe violin, which is interrupted by broad and 'tutti' passages. The concerto ends with a sort of 'stretto', Allegro vivo. [...] As with all compositions for solo instrument, the solo violin requires a quite special 'state of mind'. [...] All which we to express in the solo violin part must be contained in a single line, which must also imply the rest. To put it differently, the single part of the violin solo must in itself already contain the whole musical scheme, the whole concerto."
The successful premiere of the work on the last day of 1943 was a significant step for Elman in his return to a leading position among violinists of the world.
Aleš Březina, Bohuslav Martinů: Selected Masterpieces, © 2001 Supraphon Music a.s