This piece was finished by Felix Mendelssohn in 1845. While it is a piece centered around a solo violin, it is actually one of Mendelssohn’s largest orchestral pieces. It was written for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, a timpani, and strings. The piece is in four four time, which means that it has four beats per measure and the quarter note receives the designation of one beat. As well, the piece is in the key of e minor which means that it has one prevalent sharp.
It took about 7 years for Mendelssohn to complete this work. The soloist for the premiere of this piece was Ferdinand David with the Leipzing Gewandhaus Orchestra, of which Mendelssohn was the principal conductor. Today this piece is one of the most widely played violin concertos ever.
Personally, I have heard this piece live twice. One was performed by the New York Philharmonic and the second was by the Budapest Festival Orchestra. The concert where the second was performed was quite interesting because the conductor wanted to promote female composing. This led to the orchestra ending the concert with a choral piece by Fanny Mendelssohn that was song by the orchestra. As such, this was one of my favorite concerts. Please let me know any of your experiences with this piece.