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.
This piece bring tears to my eyes! Great coverage!
Mendelssohn spent a great deal of time working on this…and it shows. One of the greatest violin concertos of all time, which influenced many other composers. Well done!
Wow! Great find – I didn’t even know Mendelssohn’s had a daughter who was composer. I love Mendelssohn’s work and this concerto in particular. I suppose it’s worth noting that the key of e minor has one “prevalent” sharp, but I don’t think it adds a whole lot to the critique, and I’m not sure how a “prevalent sharp” differs from any other sharp. I suspect that what really grabbed you with this concerto is the juxtaposition of the extraordinary passion in many passages with the energy of the of the amazing, technically challenging upspeed interludes. And I think that’s why some of the world’s best violinists play, as well! Your blog is very informative, but I think it would be even more effective if you talked about how the work makes you “feel” when you hear it – what makes this work special. Keep up the good work!
So interesting! Thank you for sharing.
Keep up the good work!
My favorite recording of this violin concerto features Anna Sophie Mutter. It is a piece that evokes a sweet melancholy in me when I listen to it. Thanks for the post.