# Mozart's Violin Concertos



## BoggyB

The recommended-lists seem to contain all of my favourites, but there's a niggle when it comes to the titular concertos. I listened to them a lot when I was younger, and after listening again recently, I thought no. 3 was marginally the best, followed by nos. 1 and 4 (they're all nice, at the end of the day). In ze list, however, you have 3+4+5 only.

My question is this: is MVC #5 an otherwise-ordinary concerto that's carried by the "Turkish" section in the finale? Cf. Tchaikovsky's piano concerto no.1 which is arguably carried by its first couple of minutes.


----------



## violadude

My ranking goes: 3 and 5, 4, 2 and 1.


----------



## Pugg

My ranking: 2-4-3-5 and 1


----------



## KenOC

Interesting that all of Mozart's 5 violin concertos were written in a short period of time, possibly all in 1775.


----------



## Pugg

KenOC said:


> Interesting that all of Mozart's 5 violin concertos were written in a short period of time, possibly all in 1775.


Knowing he died at a young age, all his work are written in a short period off time .


----------



## Animal the Drummer

My ranking: 1/3/4/5 in any order with 2 some way behind.


----------



## Bulldog

I most enjoy no. 3 followed by no. 5 which is anything but ordinary.


----------



## BoggyB

I note the variation in people's rankings. Ought 1 and 2 perhaps get honourable mentions in that thread?


----------



## Steatopygous

It's true that the concertos were written in close succession, but there is clear development in his mastery of this genre. I believe 3 and 5 are most played in concert, but 4 is my favourite for its lovely slow movement. It was long one of the common audition pieces for many orchestras. No idea if that is still the case.


----------



## DavidA

BoggyB said:


> The recommended-lists seem to contain all of my favourites, but there's a niggle when it comes to the titular concertos. I listened to them a lot when I was younger, and after listening again recently, I thought no. 3 was marginally the best, followed by nos. 1 and 4 (they're all nice, at the end of the day). In ze list, however, you have 3+4+5 only.
> 
> My question is this: is MVC #5 an otherwise-ordinary concerto that's carried by the "Turkish" section in the finale? *Cf. Tchaikovsky's piano concerto no.1 which is arguably carried by its first couple of minutes.*


Not in my experience. Have you ever heard it beyond the first two minutes?


----------



## DavidA

The best Mozart violin concerto is the famous Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola.


----------



## BoggyB

DavidA said:


> Have you ever heard it beyond the first two minutes?


Is that a rhetorical question? I've listened to two different recordings of the whole thing.

I didn't mention the Sinfonia Concertante because it isn't a violin concerto per se. Its first movement is excellent.


----------



## Pugg

DavidA said:


> The best Mozart violin concerto is the famous Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola.


You do have a point, however it's not a real violin concerto.


----------



## bharbeke

I like 1 and 5 the best, followed by 3 and 4, followed by 2. I haven't pitted the two pairs against each other to determine a ranked list.


----------



## Joachim Raff

I regard his violin concertos a bit mediocre, compared to his other instrumental concertos. I would rate his No.5 his best because of the indifferent final movement.

My favourite recording:


----------



## Kieran

I think he was only 20 when he composed his last one, so they're definitely of interest from that perspective, but I don't consider them to be as fully fledged as his later concertos for piano, for example, or the Sinfonia Concertante, but they're great works, albeit ones that haven't benefitted from the expressiveness and originality of his work a few years later....


----------



## Olias

I think #4 is probably my favorite but I like them all. I'm a big Hilary Hahn fan so here are a few performances of Mozart VCs

#3 for Pope Benedict's birthday





#4 for the Last Night of the PROMS in 2000





#5 her studio recording from a few years ago


----------



## Brahmsian Colors

I'll include the Sinfonia Concertante, and place it on top as my favorite Mozart Concerto with violin, followed by VCs 3 and 4. My choices for performance: Druian/Skernick/Szell/Cleveland Orchestra and Grumiaux/Pelliccia/Davis/London Symphony in the Concertante... and Grumiaux/Davis/London Symphony in the Third and Fourth Violin Concertos.


----------



## DaddyGeorge

Currently it's 5-3-4-2-1, but a few years ago #2 was my favorite. It's a pity that Mozart didn't return to composing violin concertos during his "Vienna" period. I remember how I was touched by original Mozart's childhood violin at the Mozarteum in Salzburg...


----------

