Violin concerto

David Oistrakh playing a violin concerto

A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble, customarily orchestra. Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up through the present day. Many major composers have contributed to the violin concerto repertoire, with the best known works including those by Bach, Barber, Bartók, Beethoven, Berg, Brahms, Bruch, Dvorak, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Paganini, Prokofiev, Saint-Saëns, Schoenberg, Shostakovich, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky, and Vivaldi. Traditionally a three-movement work, the violin concerto has been structured in four movements by a number of 20th Century composers, including Shostakovich, Igor Stravinsky, and Berg (in the latter, the first two and last two movements are connected, with the only break coming between the second and third). In some violin concertos, especially from the Baroque and modern eras, the violin (or group of violins) is accompanied by a chamber ensemble rather than an orchestra—for instance, Vivaldi's L'estro Armonico, originally scored for four violins, two violas, cello, and continuo, and Allan Pettersson's first concerto, for violin and string quartet.

Selected list of violin concertos

The following concertos are presently found near the center of the mainstream Western repertoire. For a more comprehensive list of violin concertos, see List of compositions for violin and orchestra.

John Adams Violin Concerto (1993) The Dharma at Big Sur (2003) Johann Sebastian Bach Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041 (1717–1723) Violin Concerto in E major, BWV 1042 (1717–1723) Double Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV 1043 (1723) Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052 (a reconstruction of a lost work) Violin Concerto for 3 violins in D major, BWV 1064 (a reconstruction of a lost work) Violin Concerto in G minor, BWV 1056 (a reconstruction of a lost work) Samuel Barber Violin Concerto, Op. 14 (1939) Béla Bartók Violin Concerto No. 1 (1908) Violin Concerto No. 2 (1938) Ludwig van Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 (1806) Alban Berg Violin Concerto "To the memory of an angel" (1935) Johannes Brahms Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 (1878) Max Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 (1867) Antonín Dvořák Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53 (1879–1880) Edward Elgar Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61 (1910) Philip Glass Violin Concerto No. 1 (1987) Violin Concerto No. 2 (2009) Alexander Glazunov Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 82 (1904) Sofia Gubaidulina Offertorium, concerto for violin and orchestra (1980–86) Joseph Haydn Violin Concerto No. 1 in C major (1760) Violin Concerto No. 3 in A major Violin Concerto No. 4 in G major Hans Werner Henze Violin Concerto No. 1 (1947) Violin Concerto No. 2 (1971) Violin Concerto No. 3 (1996, rev. 2002) Édouard Lalo Symphonie espagnole in D minor, Op. 21 (1875) György Ligeti Violin Concerto (1990) Felix Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 (1844) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Violin Concerto No. 1 in B-flat major, K. 207 (1773) Violin Concerto No. 2 in D major, K. 211 (1775) Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216, Strassburg (1775) Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major, K. 218 (1775) Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K. 219, Turkish (1775), with alternative Adagio in E, K.261 (added 1776) Carl Nielsen Violin Concerto (1911) Niccolò Paganini Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 6, MS 21 (ca. 1811–17) Violin Concerto No. 2 in B minor, Op. 7, MS 48, La Campanella (1826) Violin Concerto No. 3 in E major, MS 50 (ca. 1826–30) Violin Concerto No. 5 in A minor (1830) Walter Piston Violin Concerto No. 1 (1939) Violin Concerto No. 2 (1960) Sergei Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 19 (1917) Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63 (1935) Camille Saint-Saëns Violin Concerto No. 2 in C major, Op. 58 (1858) Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor, Op. 61 (1880) Arnold Schoenberg Violin Concerto, Op. 36 (1936) Robert Schumann Violin Concerto, WoO 23 (1853) Dmitri Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77 (1948, rev. 1955 as Op. 99) Violin Concerto No. 2 in C-sharp minor, Op. 129 (1967) Jean Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 (1904) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 (1878) Joan Tower Violin Concerto (1992) Antonio Vivaldi — many, particularly: L'estro Armonico, Op. 3 (1711)—twelve concertos, No. 6 (A minor) frequently played by students La stravaganza, Op. 4 (ca. 1714) The Four Seasons (ca. 1725)—four concertos, the first four numbers of Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione, Op. 8 Charles Wuorinen Concerto for Amplified Violin and Orchestra (1972) Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra (1984) Spin5 for Violin and 18 players (2006)

Selected list of other works for violin and ensemble

Béla Bartók Violin Rhapsody No. 1 Violin Rhapsody No. 2 Ludwig van Beethoven Romance No. 1 in G major, Op. 40 (1798–1802) Romance No. 2 in F major, Op. 50 (1798–1802) Max Bruch Romance in A minor, Op. 42 (1874) Scottish Fantasy, Op. 46 (1880) Adagio Appassionato in C-sharp minor, Op. 57 (1890) Schwedische Tanze, Op. 63/2 (1892) In memoriam, Op. 65 (1893) Serenade in A minor, Op. 75 (1899–1900) Konzertstück in F-sharp minor, Op. 84 (ca. 1911) Édouard Lalo Symphonie espagnole, Op. 21 (1874) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Concertone in C major, for two violins and orchestra, K. 190 (1774) Adagio in E major, K. 261 (1776) Rondo in B-flat major, K. 261a (1776) Rondo in C major, K. 373 (1781)

Camille Saint-Saëns Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28 (1863) Havanaise, Op. 83 (1887) Pablo de Sarasate Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20 (1878) Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25 (1883) Navarra for two violins and orchestra, Op. 33 (1889) Miramar-Zortzico, Op. 42 (1899) Introduction and Tarantella, Op. 43 (1899) Franz Schubert Konzertstück in D major, D. 345 (1816) Rondo in A major, D. 438 (1816) Polonaise in B-flat major, D. 580 (1817) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Sérénade mélancolique Souvenir d'un lieu cher (written for violin and piano in 1878; arranged for violin and orchestra by Alexander Glazunov in 1896) Valse-Scherzo

• Maurice Ravel
  • Tzigane

See also

Violin Violin sonata Viola concerto Cello concerto Double concerto for violin and cello Piano trio

Bassoon concerto Clarinet concerto Flute concerto Harpsichord concerto

Oboe concerto Bass oboe concerto Piano concerto Concerto for orchestra

External links

• Anthology of 20th century violin concertos