# Good Violin Composers



## eersoy (Apr 3, 2020)

Hello,

I am a 23 year old mechanical engineer and I have just joined the forum. I have a keen interest in classical music, I particularly like the violin. It may be because I have been playing the guitar all my life but I do think Violin is the best sounding instrument on Earth and the second best story telling device after Piano.

I would love to get some recommendations on composers/viruosos of the old eras. I have recently been listening to Pablo de Sarasete, Vivaldi and Chopin, particularly enjoyed after two glasses of red, third one poured.

Thanks in advance.
Emir


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Chopin as violin composer? Are you sure it's two glasses and not two bottles? 

Paganini is an obvious one, but also Joachim.


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## eersoy (Apr 3, 2020)

I don't solely listen to Violin, love a bit of storytelling in the Piano too  Thanks for the recommendation, will add to my list, particularly Joachim which I had not heard


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Mozart: Violin concertos / Bach Violin concertos /Mendelssohn & Bruch: Violin Concertos/ Tartini: Violin Concertos Brahms Violin concert and Double concerto.
Have fun exploring.


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## eersoy (Apr 3, 2020)

Good recommendations, thank a lot!


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

The first thing the comes to mind are Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin (3 of each). All six have been transcribed for guitar, as well, so you can compare instruments.

Everyone here will recommend a different recording  but I think a good place to start might be Arthur Grumiaux. There will be dozens of sets on the streaming sites, so you can explore if you have access. As for guitar, I like Goran Sollscher, although he hasn't recorded all of them. I received a complete set by Mats Bergstrom earlier this week, but I haven't had the chance to listen to it.


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

*Biber - Rosary Sonatas*
*Biber - Harmonia artificiosa*
*Bach - Violin partitas*

some of the best baroque violin compositions


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Beethoven's Concerto, two Romances, and sonatas and string quartets are all wonderful, but if you hear through everything else, the soaring violin obligato that floats over the Benedictus of his Missa Solemnis absolutely transports.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

Camille Saint Saens was a violinist and wrote very well for the instrument. He wrote several concertos of which Vioin Concerto No. 3 is the best. Just about every great violinist has recorded it.

His Introduction And Rondo Capriccioso for violin is regularly recorded by violinists. It is regularly included in collections like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Saint-Saëns-...priccioso&qid=1585918407&s=music&sr=8-1-fkmr2


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

The Sibelius Violin Concerto is a great one. Sibelius began his career as an aspiring violin virtuoso before turning his attentions solely to composition. Anyway, he wrote beautifully for the instrument, and other strings.

Another good one to check out is Ralph Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending. It's a short concertante work for violin and orchestra, people seem to either love it or hate it.

By the way, welcome to the forum, eersoy. I play the guitar myself, as well as the piano, and I love classical music as of the past couple of years. There's a lifetime of discovery and enriching experience ahead of you.


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

My 10 favorite violin concerti:

Sibelius
Beethoven
Brahms
Barber
Prokofiev 1
Bach 1 and 2
Dvorak
Shostakovich 1
Bartok 2

I have exact opposite tastes of you, as violin is one of my least favorite solo instruments, but I hope you can find enjoyment through some of these recommendations. Welcome to the forum by the way!


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## Simplicissimus (Feb 3, 2020)

Some more suggestions focusing on sonatas a little off the beaten path that have been recorded by my very favorite virtuoso violinist, Arturo Delmoni:

- Cesar Franck, Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano.
- Zoltan Kodaly, Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7.
- Amy Beach, Sonata in A Minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 34.

Here's the Beach sonata played by Delmoni on Youtube:


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## Caryatid (Mar 28, 2020)

Maybe look at the TC Top 100 Recommended Chamber Duo Works list and listen to the violin sonatas.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)




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## chu42 (Aug 14, 2018)

These are the composers who have written a number of strong works for the violin:

-Bach
-Beethoven 
-Mozart
-Haydn 
-Handel
-Brahms
-Paganini
-Biber
-Corelli
-Vivaldi
-Telemann
-Tartini
-Wienawski
-Saint-Saens
-Ernst
-Locatelli
-Vieuxtemps
-Enescu
-Martinu
-Ysaye
-Sarasate
-Bruch
-Mendelssohn
-Prokofiev
-Kreisler

....among others.


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## Rangstrom (Sep 24, 2010)

Bruch, Vieuxtemps and the rest of the Hyperion Romantic Violin Concerto series will serve you well.


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## camus (Jun 24, 2010)

There are many, many. SomeI can think of off the top of my head:

**Composers who composed (almost) exclusively, or heavily for violins**

Pablo de Sarasate, which you've already listened. Some of my favorites are Spanish Dances op21, Caprice Basque, etc
Nicolo Paganini - best known for his 24 caprices, but also try Sonata in e for violin and guitar, Moses Fantasy (a variation on Rossini's vocal work)
Henri Wieniawski - Some polonaise, violin concerto, etc

Other more versatile composers:
**baroque**
J.S Bach: unaccompanied violin sonatas and partitas, concerto for two violins, air on G, etc
Antonio Vivaldi: four seasons, violin concerto in a, also some works for viola d'amore if you fancy
George Frederick Handel: violin sonatas

**Classical**
Joseph Hayden: string quartets and violin sonatas
W.A.Mozart: violin sonatas, violin concertos, string quartets, quintets
L.Beethoven: string quartets, trios, violin sonatas , two Romances, violin concerto
Franz Schubert: string quartets , quintet Trout, Serenade, Nocturne (piano trio), arpeggione sonata (viola)

**Romantic**
Robert Schuman: violin sonatas
Felix Mendelssohn: string quartets, octet, violin concerto
Johannes Brahms: string quartets, quintet, trios
Smetana: string quartet 1
Anton Dvorak: violin concerto, string quartets (America), romance, 4 romantic pieces
Tchaikovsky: violin concerto
Max Bruch: violin concerto, Scottish fantasy, viola concerto

**Late Romantic, Modern**
Violin concerti Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, Edward Elgar
Quartets, string chamber music by the three, plus Samuel Barber, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Arnold Schoenberg 

**Lyrical pieces**
Dvorak 4 romantic pieces, sonatina, Tchaikovsky Souvenir d'un lieu cher, All of Fritz Kreisler, Joseph Joachim Notturno

There are just toooo many violin pieces. If you have limited time and would rather learn about important pieces in a chronological order, try the following:
Vivaldi violin concerto in a 
Bach partita 2, 3
Handel violin sonata in D
Hayden string quartets ( 4-5 of your choice)
Mozart violin concerto 3, 5, string quartet or quintet ( 4-5 of your choice)
Schubert string quartets no13 Rosamunde, no14 Death and the Maiden, piano quintet Trout
Paganini caprice 24, sonata in e
Beethoven violin sonata no5 Spring, no9 Kreutzer, string quartet (4 -5 of your choice), violin concerto in D
Mendelssohn violin concerto in e
Brahms violin concerto in D, string quartets and violin sonatas ( 4- 5 of your choice)
Dvorak string quartet America, violin concerto in D
Tchaikovsky violin concerto in D
Bruch violin concerto in g
Sibelius violin concerto in d
Wieniawski polonais in D
Kreisler songs ( 4 -5 of your choice)
Shostakovich string quartet ( 2-4 of your choice)


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

All the best ones seem to have been mentioned already, but do check out the Violin Concertos by Julius Rontgen, real gems, even if they are a bit off the beaten track!


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## eersoy (Apr 3, 2020)

Thank you all for a huge volume of suggestions. I intend on writing them down with some background info on a small notebook I recently found in the storage. Listened to the concerto by Bach which was great.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

I have seen scant references to the Baroque masters, Vivaldi, Tartini, Corelli, LeClaire...


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## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)

eersoy said:


> ...but I do think Violin is the best sounding instrument on Earth and the second best story telling device after Piano.
> 
> I would love to get some recommendations on composers/viruosos of the old eras. I have recently been listening to Pablo de Sarasete, Vivaldi and Chopin, particularly enjoyed after two glasses of red, third one poured.


I'd like to see you come back after maybe sobering maybe delving further - but like, *Paganini*? How can we not just start there. His 24 Caprices gives us the landscape. We should go from there. Backwards forwards, louder softer, etc.


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## Guest002 (Feb 19, 2020)

I'd recommend the Britten Violin Concerto. Unjustly neglected in my view!

I would also stretch things a little and recommend the Walton Violin *and* Viola concertos. The Viola is especially strong, I think.


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## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

Vivaldi, J.S. Bach, Biber, Corelli, Handel, Telemann, Schmelzer, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and Prokofiev all composed exceptionally well for the violin--to start with. The following violin works are all worth getting to know, in my opinion, & I've placed an asterisk* by those they are special favorites of mine: (I've also included You Tube links to a variety of good recordings for most of the works listed below--including performances on both modern and period violins):

Antonio Vivaldi: 
--L'Estro Armonico*:








--The Four Seasons*:
























--6 Violin Concerti, Op. 11*: 



--Dresden Concertos* (for his student Pisendel): 



--12 Violin Concertos, "La Cetra", Op. 9*: 








etc.
--Violin Sonatas:

















J.S. Bach:
--Violin Concertos*:
















--Sonatas & Partitas for solo violin*:












--Violin Sonatas 1-6*: 




Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber:
--The Mystery Sonatas (Les Sonatas du Rosaire)*: 



etc.

Arcangelo Corelli:
--Violin Sonatas Op. 5*:









George Frideric Handel:
--Violin Sonatas*:




















--Trio Sonatas* (including Handel's Sonatas for Two Violins & Continuo):

















Johann Heinrich Schmelzer:
--Sonatae Unarum Fidium* (violin sonatas):









George Philipp Telemann:
--Violin Concertos (many): 








--Violin Sonatas 1-6: 



--12 Fantasias for solo violin: 




Wolgang Amadeus Mozart:
--Violin Concertos 1-5 (nos. 3*, 4*, 5*): 



--Sinfonia Concertante*: 








--Violin Sonatas: 

















Ludwig van Beethoven:
--Violin Sonatas 1-10*: 



--Violin Concerto: 




Johannes Brahms:
--Violin Sonatas 1-3*: 








--Violin Concerto*: 




Serge Prokofiev:
--Violin Concertos 1* & 2:
















--Violin Sonatas 1 & 2*: 




To the above list, I'd add Jean Sibelius's Violin Concerto*, Samuel Barber's Violin Concerto* (with its beautiful, elegiac middle movement), Dmitri Shostakovich's two Violin Concertos, Eugene Ysaÿe's Sonatas for solo violin, Cesar Franck's Violin Sonata, Alban Berg's Violin Concerto, "In Memory of a Angel", Arnold Schoenberg's Violin Concerto, Darius Milhaud's Violin Sonata No. 2, Charles Koechlin's Violin Sonata, Claude Debussy's Violin Sonata, Maurice Ravel's Violin Sonata No. 2, and Ralph Vaughan Williams, "The Lark Ascending"*.

--Jean Sibelius Violin Concerto*: 



--Samuel Barber Violin Concerto*: 



--Ralph Vaughan Williams, The Lark Ascending*:








--Darius Milhaud, Violin Sonata no. 2*: 



--Cesar Franck, Violin Sonata*:








--Charles Koechlin, Violin Sonata:












--Claude Debussy, Violin Sonata:












--Maurice Ravel, Violin Sonata No. 2*:








--Arnold Schoenberg, Violin Concerto: 



--Alban Berg, Violin Concerto, "In Memory of a Angel": 



--Dmitri Shostakovich, Violin Concerto No. 1: 




& I'd be remiss not to also mention violinist Michael Rabin playing Jules Massenet's Méditation on a Theme from Thais*: 




Others might add violin works by Giuseppe Tartini, Pietro Locatelli, F.J. Haydn, Felix Mendelssohn, Niccolò Paganini, Robert Schumann, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Max Bruch, Bohuslav Martinu, and Bela Bartok to the above list, etc..

If you want to get more adventurous, I'd additionally recommend listening to some modern (mostly post-WW2) & contemporary violin works, as well--since I've found the violin makes an excellent way to enter into contemporary music, considering that many of these composers have written some of their most imaginative works for the instrument:

--Fartein Valen, Violin Concerto: 



--Roy Harris, Violin Concerto: 



--Einojuhani Rautavaara, Violin Concerto*: 



--Magnus Lindberg, Violin Concerto no.1*:








--Phillip Glass, Violin Concerto No. 1*: 



--Elliott Carter, Violin Concerto*:












--Norbert Moret, "En Rêve"--Concerto for violin and chamber orchestra*:








--Esa-Pekka Salonen, Violin Concerto: 



--Per Nørgård, Violin Concerto no. 1 "Helle Nacht": 



--Vagn Holmboe--Violin Sonatas 1-3: 



--Einar Englund*, and Paavo Heininen, Violin Sonatas: 



--Hans Werner Henze, Violin Works: 



--György Ligeti, Violin Concerto: 



--Krysztof Penderecki, Violin Concerto no. 2 "Metamorphosen"*: 








--Wolfgang Rihm: "Lichtes Spiel"*: 



--Witold Lutoslawski, "Partita"*, "Chain 2": 



--Peterus Vasks, Violin Concerto "Tala Gaisma", or "Distant Light"*:












--John Adams, Violin Concerto: 



--Oliver Knussen, Violin Concerto*: 



--Anders Hillborg, Violin Concerto No. 2*: 




ETC.

The above list is meant to be used as a basic guide--to be explored over time, and not tackled all at once.


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## eersoy (Apr 3, 2020)

A great extenive list, thank you very much!


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## eersoy (Apr 3, 2020)

Thanks for the passionate response, will listen to some today.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Try writing music yourself if you know a bit of theory. Personally I find engineering pretty dry and boring (had done it for about 20 years). In the end it's all about what is most economically feasible, and little real design.


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