# Your best violin concerto?



## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

Hello TC members,

As an amateur violinist, my best genre of classical music is violin concertos. I listen to a vareity of them, from Bach BWV 1041/42 to Vivaldi Concerto for four violins, and to Mozart 7 Violin Concertos (my best as of now) as well as Romantic violin concertos. I haven't heard too much of 20th century concertos except for Shostakovich. 

What are your best violin concertos, and who is your best violnist for these recordings?

KevinW


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

My top 10 alphabetically:

Bax
Beethoven
Berg
Brahms
Bruch 1
Mendelssohn
Moeran
Shostakovich 1
Sibelius
Tchaikovsky

I don't have clear preferences for recordings.


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## John Zito (Sep 11, 2021)

These rank among my favorite recordings of any music in any genre:


 Shostakovich 1 - David Oistrakh, Dimitri Mitropoulos, New York Philharmonic;
 Sibelius - Isaac Stern, Eugene Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra;
 Stravinsky - Hilary Hahn, Neville Marriner, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

The Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto is one of my favorites. It is IMO the epitome of a romantic violin concerto. The opening and secondary (that appears a little later) melodies are some of the most beautiful I've ever heard.


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## Chilham (Jun 18, 2020)




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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Alphabetical:

Barber
Dvorak
Mozart 3
Mozart 5
Myaskovsky
Nielsen
Shostakovich 1
Shostakovich 2
Sibelius
Weinberg


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

The concertos by Brahms (first and foremost, for me anyway), Elgar, Beethoven and Mendelssohn. Arthur Grumiaux would be my favourite for the Brahms and the Beethoven and David Oistrakh for the Mendelssohn. My favourite Elgar recordings are taken from 78s and probably best approached after getting to know the piece in a good modern recording, such as those by James Ehnes or Hilary Hahn.

I envy you just starting out on this amazing journey. Enjoy!


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

Animal the Drummer said:


> The concertos by Brahms (first and foremost, for me anyway), Elgar, Beethoven and Mendelssohn. Arthur Grumiaux would be my favourite for the Brahms and the Beethoven and David Oistrakh for the Mendelssohn. My favourite Elgar recordings are taken from 78s and probably best approached after getting to know the piece in a good modern recording, such as those by James Ehnes or Hilary Hahn.
> 
> I envy you just starting out on this amazing journey. Enjoy!


Arthur Grumiaux is born to be a Mozartist. Listen to his Mozart VCs with Sir Colin Davis!


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## HerbertNorman (Jan 9, 2020)

Shostakovich 1 & 2
Dvorak
Sibelius
Mendelssohn
Bruch
Tchaikovsky
Brahms


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

Brahms
Mendelssohn
Shostakovich 1
Bach E major
Mozart #3


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

Beethoven 
Brahms
Bach Double
Bach A Minor
Sibelius
Shostakovich 1
Berg
Vivaldi RV278 
Mendelssohn
Schoenberg
Tchaikovsky
Bartok 2
Stravinsky

Stravinsky, Berg, Schoenberg, and Bartok 2 may be too dissonant for the OP's taste.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

KevinW said:


> Arthur Grumiaux is born to be a Mozartist. Listen to his Mozart VCs with Sir Colin Davis!


Absolutely, and his Bach is magnificent as well. Incidentally he was also a far better pianist than I, who have played the piano for more than 60 years and am not bad for an amateur, will ever be. Good thing I'm not the envious type!


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## BoggyB (May 6, 2016)

KevinW said:


> Mozart 7 Violin Concertos


There are seven?? I thought there were five plus the concertante. I'll google this later today.

Three B's guys: Brahms, Beethoven, Bruch 1. And imagine if one of Beethoven's romances was the slow movement of his concerto :angel: (that's not to say the actual movement sux, but just that it's a bit pedestrian by comparison)


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Not ranked, and this is a baker's dozen:

Stravinsky
Berg
Weinberg
Shostakovich 1
Bernstein - Serenade after Plato's "Symposium" (1954)
Weill
Myaskovsky
Schoenberg
Holmboe 2
Wellesz
Szymanowski 2
Bruch 1
Hans Gál


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Nordic twin peaks: the Violin Concertos of Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius
By Kevin W Ng, 28 January 2015
https://bachtrack.com/sibelius-nielsen-150-violin-concerto-january-2015


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

Brahms: 
Bronislaw Huberman/Artur Rodzinski/NYPO (1944)
Fritz Kreisler/Leo Blech/Berlin St Opera (1927)
Jascha Heifetz/Serge Koussevitzky/BSO (1939)
Herman Krebbers/Bernard Haitink/RCO (1973)

Beethoven: 
Fritz Kreisler/Leo Blech/Berlin St Opera (1926)
Bronislaw Huberman/George Szell/VPO (1934)
Itzhak Perlman/Carlo Maria Giulini/CSO (1980)

Mendelssohn:
Joseph Szigeti/Sir Thomas Beecham/LPO (1933)
Pinchas Zukerman/Leonard Bernstein/NYPO (1969)

Tchaikovsky:
Bronislaw Huberman/Eugene Ormandy (1946)
Bronislaw Huberman/William Steinberg (1928)
David Oistrakh/Franz Konwitschny (1954)

Sibelius:
Jascha Heifetz/Sir Thomas Beecham (1935)
Jascha Heifetz/Walter Hendl (1959)

Bruch:
Nathan Milstein/Artur Rodzinski/NYPO (1944)
Jascha Heifetz/Sir Malcolm Sargent (1962)

Vivaldi Four Seasons:
Felix Ayo/I Musici (1959)
Alan Loveday/Neville Marriner/St Martin in the Fields (1969)

Bach Nos 1-2/Double:
Yehudi Menuhin/George Enescu (1930s)
David & Igor Oistrakh
Arthur Grumiaux/Herman Krebbers 

Berg:
Louis Krasner/Anton Webern
Itzhak Perlman/Seiji Ozawa

Shostakovich No. 1:
David Oistrakh/Dmitri Mitropoulos/NYPO

Prokofiev No. 1:
Joseph Szigeti/Sir Thomas Beecham

.


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## 59540 (May 16, 2021)

Post-Bach:
Mozart - Oistrakh
Beethoven - Szeryng
Sibelius - Oistrakh
Tchaikovsky - Perlman
Brahms - Oistrakh
Berg - Perlman

Yeah, I'm a big fan of Oistrakh.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

BoggyB said:


> There are seven?? I thought there were five plus the concertante. I'll google this later today.


There are 5 + Concertante K 364 + Concertone K 190 (2 violins). 
But there are also two further concertos "6" and "7" attributed to Mozart (but probably not by him) K 268 Eb major and K 271i D major.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Vivaldi Four Seasons
Bach 2
Beethoven
Sarasate Zigeunerweisen (not exactly a concerto, but like more than any other Romantic violin concerto)
Prokofiev 2
Shostakovich 2


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## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

In rough order from favorite to less so (I do absolutely love all of the listed concertos):

Sibelius VC - favorite recording is by David Oistrakh, the modern recording by Batiashvili comes close
Bruch VC1 - favorite recording is a bit hard to pin down but either recording by Kyung Wha Chung is fine with me
Tchaikovsky VC - Batiashvili
Mendelssohn VC - Kyung Wha Chung
Bruch Scottish Fantasy - Kyung Wha Chung
Bruch VC2 - favorite recording is the one by Nai-Yuan Hu
Lalo Symphonie Espagnole
Bruch VC3
Glazunov VC
Goldmark VC - favorite recording is the one by Nai-Yuan Hu
Vieuxtemps VC1-7
Dvorak VC

I am probably missing quite a few, but for the most part I am a sucker for any romantic era violin concerto. It is one of my favorite musical genres. I will occasionally listen to the Elgar, Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi and Spohr concertos, but they do not rock my boat as much as those listed above.


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## Highwayman (Jul 16, 2018)

Bartók 1 - Oistrakh/Rozhdestvensky
Bartók 2 - Stern/Bernstein
Dutilleux - L'Arbre des songes - Stern/Maazel
Gubaidulina - In Tempus Praesens - Mutter/Gergiev
Gubaidulina - Offertorium - Kremer/Dutoit
Hindemith - Oistrakh/Hindemith
Jolivet - Faust/Letonja
Penderecki 2 "Metamorphosen" - Chee-Yun/Wit
Prokofiev 1 - Oistrakh/Matačić
Prokofiev 2 - Oistrakh/Sanderling
Rochberg - Stern/Previn
Saariaho - Graal théâtre - Kremer/Salonen
Saygun - Tschopp/Rasilainen
Sessions - Zukofsky/Schuller
Schnittke 4 - Kremer/Eschenbach
Shostakovich 1 - Oistrakh/Mravinsky
Shostakovich 2 - Oistrakh/Ormandy
Szymanowski 1 - Oistrakh/Sanderling
Szymanowski 2 - Szeryng/Krenz


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Phil loves classical said:


> Vivaldi Four Seasons


No wonder I don't agree with most of your posts.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

I'm not sure about "best", but here are 10 of my favorites:

Sibelius
Bartók (1 & 2)
Berg
Stravinsky
Shostakovich - 1 & 2 (I love them both)
Martinů - 2
Mendelssohn
Prokofiev - 1


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

( Bach's & Mozart's sets + selected Vivaldi ones )

Elgar
Sibelius/Gitlis
Shostakovich 1
Pettersson 2/Haendel

It's a flexible list, however. And there are many further candidates.


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

One more recording recommendation. Just listened to this and had forgotten how good it is. Unabashedly Romantic.


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## Andante Largo (Apr 23, 2020)

Paganini - Violin Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 6, MS 21 (1815)
Paganini - Violin Concerto No. 2 in B minor, Op. 7 (1826)
Paganini - Violin Concerto No. 3 in E major, MS 50 (1826)
Paganini - Violin Concerto No. 4 in D minor, MS 60 (1829)
Lipiński - Violin Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 14 (?)
Lipiński - Violin Concerto No. 2 'Militaire' in D major, Op. 21 (1834 or 1826?)
Lipiński - Violin Concerto No. 4 in A major, Op. 32 (?)
Wieniawski - Violin Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 14 (1852)
Saint-Saëns - Violin Concerto No. 1 in A major, Op. 20 (1859)
Wieniawski - Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22 (1862)
Bruch - Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 (1867)
Bruch - Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 44 (1877)
Brahms - Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 (1878)
Młynarski - Violin Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 11 (1897)
Karłowicz - Violin Concerto in A major, Op. 8 (1902)
Röntgen - Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor (1902)
Respighi - Violin Concerto in A major, P.049 (1903)
Perosi - Violin Concerto No. 1 (1903)
Sibelius - Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 (1905) 
Respighi - Concerto all'antica, P.075 (1908)
Młynarski - Violin Concerto No. 2 in D major, Op. 16 (1916)
Perosi - Violin Concerto No. 2 (1916)
Respighi - Concerto gregoriano, P.135 (1921)
Castelnuovo-Tedesco - Violin Concerto No. 1 'Italiano', Op. 31 (1924)
Castelnuovo-Tedesco - Violin Concerto No. 2 'I Profeti', Op. 66 (1931)
Röntgen - Violin Concerto No. 3 in F-sharp minor (1931)


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## John Zito (Sep 11, 2021)

Brahmsianhorn said:


> One more recording recommendation. Just listened to this and had forgotten how good it is. Unabashedly Romantic.


Probably my favorite version.


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

dissident said:


> Post-Bach:
> Mozart - Oistrakh
> Beethoven - Szeryng
> Sibelius - Oistrakh
> ...


Me too! What are your best Oistrakh recordings?


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## JTS (Sep 26, 2021)

The greatest violin concerto of all in the best modern performance


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

hammeredklavier said:


> Nordic twin peaks: the Violin Concertos of Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius
> By Kevin W Ng, 28 January 2015
> https://bachtrack.com/sibelius-nielsen-150-violin-concerto-january-2015


Kevin W Ng…:lol: I thought that was me…


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## Coach G (Apr 22, 2020)

1. Beethoven (Stern/Bernstein) Columbia/Sony
2. Brahms (Stern/Ormandy) Columbia/Sony
3. Prokofiev 1 (Perlman/Rozhdestvensky) Angel/EMI
4. Prokofiev 2 (Perlman/Rozhdestvensky) Angel/EMI
5. Stravinsky (Perlman/Ozawa) DG
6. Berg (Perlman/Ozawa) DG
7. Khachaturian (Perlman/Mehta) Angel/EMI
8. Shostakovich (Oistrakh/Mitroupolos) Columbia/Sony
9. Tchaikovsky (Stern/Ormandy) Columbia/Sony
10. Barber (Stern/Bernstein) Columbia/Sony
11. Sibelius (Francescatti/Bernstein) Columbia/Sony
12. Rochberg (Peter Skaerved/Christopher Lyndon-Gee) Naxos
13. Mozart 3 (Stern/Szell) Columbia/Sony
14. Mozart 4 (Stern/Schneider) Columbia/Sony
15. Mozart 5 (Stern/Szell) Columbia?Sony
16. Ellen Taaffe Zwillich (Pamela Frank/Michael Stern) Naxos
17. Vivian Fung (Kristen Lee/Andrew Cyr) Naxos
18. Philip Glass (Kremer/Dohnayi) DG
19. Walter Piston 1 (James Buswell/Theodore Kuchdor) Naxos
20. Walter Piston 2 (James Buswell/Theodore Kuchdor) Naxos

Of course my favorites are along the lines of the great ones (Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, etc) but I also have an interest in our own American composers such as Rochberg, Barber, Piston, Zwillich, and Glass; as well as Fung who hails from Canada. The Barber, Piston, and Zwillich concertos are all tonal and very listenable. Rochberg's is a five-movement memorial to the death of the composer's son; and it has all the athleticism of Prokofiev's _Violin Concerto #1_; the pathos of Berg's _Violin Concerto_ (composed for a departed daughter); and the breadth and length of a Mahler symphony. Fung is more far out, drawing influence from John Cage and the avant-garde. Glass' is in the minimalist style with a final movement that is so fast and furious that it sounds as if the violinist is going to set his instrument on fire.


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

Thank you all! I saw a lot of VCs that I had never heard of before, possibly 20th century compositions. I will check all of them up!


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

Brahms: (Szeryng/Monteux)
Dvorak: (Suk/Neumann)
Schumann: (Szeryng/Dorati)
Mendelssohn: (Stern/Ormandy)
Tchaikovsky: (Oistrakh/Ormandy)
Bruch Scottish Fantasy: (Oistrakh/Horenstein)
Saint-Saens No. 3: (Milstein/Fistoulari)
Mozart No. 3: (Grumiaux/Davis)
Mozart No. 4 (Grumiaux/Davis)
Lalo Symphonie Espagnole: (Grumiaux/Rosenthal)


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## BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist (Jan 13, 2019)

Can anyone recommend a unique recording of the Schumann VC? I feel like I should like it more than I do...


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

My top 10 are pretty standard choices. Many great recordings of all of these but my personal favorites listed:

Beethoven - Hahn
Mendelssohn - Hahn
Brahms - Shaham
Tchaikovsky - Hahn
Dvorak - Suwanai
Mozart - Pine
Bach - Hahn
Shostakovich - Hahn
Saint-Saens - Graffin
Bernstein - Hahn


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

... you asked for it: 

Giacinto Scelsi _Anahit_ https://fdocuments.in/document/g-scelsi-anahit-full-orchestral-score.html

André Jolivet _Concerto pour violon et orchestre_









Richard Rodney Bennett _Concerto for Violin and Orchestra_
Aarre Merikanto _Violin Concerto No.2_
Karol Szymanowski's Violin Concertos https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN 9496

Arne Nordheim _Concerto for Violin and Orchestra_ https://bis.se/composer/nordheim-arne/arne-nordheim-complete-violin-music

Roberto Gerhard _Violin Concerto_ https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN 9599

Erik Bergman _Concerto per violone ed orchestra_ https://bis.se/performers/segerstam-hannele/finnish-violin-concertos

Fartein Valen _Concerto for Violin and Orchestra_
Henri Dutilleux _L'arbe des songes_ 









Tristan Keuris _Violin Concerto_
Benjamin Frankel _Violin Concerto in memory of the 6 million_ http://nocturna-artificialia.blogspot.com/2015/12/benjamin-frankel-violin-concerto-in_2.html

Morton Feldman _Violin and Orchestra_
Frédérik van Rossum _Concertos for Violin No.1 & No.2_ http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/mar02/Rossum_violin.htm

Philippe Boesmans _Concerto pour Violon_ https://rateyourmusic.com/release/c...-pour-violon-conversions-concerto-pour-piano/

Romualds Kalsons _Concerto for Violin and Orchestra_ https://grappa.no/en/albums/simax-classics/romualds-kalsons-concertos/

*The Village*, 2004 soundtrack by James Newton Howard


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## advokat (Aug 16, 2020)

Bach A Minor (Oistrakh, Menuhin - 1932 recording with Enescu)
Brahms (Repin, Oistrakh)
Bruch 1 (Heifetz)
Tchaikovsky (Lozakovich, Vengerov)
Mozart 1 (Grumiaux)
Mozart 2 (Grumiaux)
Sibelius (Tetzlaff)
Vieuxtemps 5 (Heifetz)


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## Cristian Lee (Aug 13, 2017)

Prodromides said:


> ... you asked for it:
> 
> Giacinto Scelsi _Anahit_ https://fdocuments.in/document/g-scelsi-anahit-full-orchestral-score.html
> 
> ...


The Village is stunning!

James Newton Howard also composed a violin concerto:


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## Pyotr (Feb 26, 2013)

Brahms - Henryk Szeryng
Vivaldi Four Seasons - Itzhak Perlman
Bach Double - Isaac Stern/Itzhak Perlman
Vivaldi 12th - Federico Guglielmo
Mozart 4th – Jasca Heifetz. 
Mozart 5th – Armin Jordan
Bruch 1 - Jasca Heifetz 
Paganini No. 2 - Ivry Gitlis
Paganini No. 5 - Alexandre Dubach
Dvorak - Anne-Sophie Mutter
Schumann - Frank Zimmermann
Mendelssohn - Ivry Gitlis


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

My favorite, in no particular order.

As with all lists like these, ask me again in a week, and there may be some different entries.

Penderecki - Violin Concerto No. 2: Metamorphosen (1997)
Elliott Carter - Violin Concerto (1990)
Charles Wuorinen - Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1958) 
Alban Berg - Violin Concerto (1935)
Joan Tower - Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1992)
Gyorgy Ligeti - Violin Concerto (1993)
Magnus Lindberg - Violin Concerto No 2 (2015)
Unsuk Chin - Violin Concerto (2001)
Samuel Barber - Violin Concerto (1939)
Ernst Krenek - Concerto per violino e orchestra n.2 op.140 (1954)
Harrison Birtwistle - Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (2009–10)
Erkki-Sven Tüür - Violin Concerto No. 2, Angel's Share
Arnold Schoenberg - Vioin Concerto (1934-1936)

There are more I rate as highly, that could make my list.


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

Simon Moon said:


> My favorite, in no particular order.
> 
> As with all lists like these, ask me again in a week, and there may be some different entries.
> 
> ...


You are such a 20th century guy!


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

My top 1 is Shostakovich 1. It goes from dark to intense emotions and from poignant to grotesque. Unquestionably a masterpiece. Vengerov with Rostropovich is my favorite performance.

My list with some sleepers:

*Sibelius
Respighi Concerto gregoriano
Pettersson 2
Janacek Pilgrimage of a Soul
Szymanowski 2
Hindemith
Dvorak
Stravinsky
Castelnuovo-Tedesco 2 The Prophets
Mendelssohn*


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## golfer72 (Jan 27, 2018)

Elgar is my favorite.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

No love at all for Korngold?


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## Bruckner Anton (Mar 10, 2016)

Here is my list
Baroque Era
Bach BWV1041-1043
Just take a look at the first movement of bwv1042, an excellent combination of ritornello form with large scale expo.+develop.+recap. structure. The split and development of the theme, the rich mid section etc. I never heard a better baroque violin concerto than these three.
Recommended recordings: 
1. Szeryng Marriner ASMF Philips
2. Accardo Chamber Orchestra of Europe Philips
3. Grumiaux Gérecz Philips

Non-Baroque
Beethoven violin concerto
An unparalleled masterpiece. A ton of great melodies well organized into a greater whole.
Recommended recordings: 
1. Schneiderhan Jochum BPO DG
2. Krebbers Haitink RCO Philips
3. Grumiaux Galliera NewPO Philips

Brahms violin concerto
An excellent example of his developing variation approach. Just hear how the first theme transforms throughout the entire first movement. Also, the second theme is omitted in the orchestral expo which adds tremendously to the freshness of the theme when it first appears in the solo expo.
1. Grumiaux Beinum RCO Philips
2. Ferras Karajan BPO DG
3. Oistrakh Klemperer EMI


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

What do you think are best Arthur Grumiaux recordings?


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

There are so many (you and others have rightly praised his Bach and Mozart) but for me one stands out above all others - his Beethoven Concerto with Alceo Galliera conducting the New Philharmonia Orchestra. There's a somewhat later one as well in which Colin Davis conducts the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, which has tighter orchestral playing but on which Grumiaux (IMHO of course), though still excellent, doesn't quite hit the heights he reached on that earlier recording, especially in the wonderful slow movement.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

golfer72 said:


> Elgar is my favorite.


I'd put it near the top, right after Brahms and Beethoven. I'm surprised at how little love the Elgar concerto is receiving in this thread.


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## whispering (Oct 26, 2013)

Hello

I to struggled initially with the Schumann Violin concerto. I am no classical music expert just a person who recognises what my ears like. Any way two recording I hold are

1) Joshua Bell and the Cleveland Orchestra directed by Christoph Von Dohnanyi on the DECCA label.

2) Isabelle Faust and the Freiburger barockorchesterconducted by Pablo Heras-Casado on the Harmonia Mandi label (a HIP).

Took me sometime to like this concerto. I will also put y hand up and say the same about Schumann’s Cello concerto which frequently gets criticised but which I now really love. Takes all sorts I guess but IMHO well worth a listen.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

Brahmsianhorn said:


> One more recording recommendation. Just listened to this and had forgotten how good it is. Unabashedly Romantic.


Was this intended for the worst album covers thread?


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

EdwardBast said:


> Was this intended for the worst album covers thread?


You just wish YOU could live on a yellow submarine.


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

EdwardBast said:


> Was this intended for the worst album covers thread?


Lol, no idea why it looks so funny.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

EdwardBast said:


> Was this intended for the worst album covers thread?


If it weren't for Perlman and Previn's heads being in that photo, I'd swear I was looking at a packet of seeds.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

It's one of the most 70s classic covers but there are more... Lovely shirts. 
There is another funny cover with Bach concerti that has 70s Perlman, Zukerman and Barenboim (I think) looking like they were having a contest who could grow the best sideburns...


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Art Rock said:


> My top 10 alphabetically:
> 
> Bax
> Beethoven
> ...


A dozen honorable mentions (alphabetical order):

Arutiunian, Barber, Dutilleux, Dvořák, Elgar, Joachim 2, Karłowicz, Korngold, Myaskovsky, Nielsen, Shostakovich 2, Weinberg.


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## Tero (Jun 2, 2012)

I don't listen to any classical violin concertos. Only baroque. So kicking off with Opus 3 (including number 10) would be my tops.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

This record, this combination, stunning.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Bartok Violin Concerto No. 2 played by Kyung-Wha Chung. To me there's a kind of miraculous sense of East meets West in this transcendent work and performance, which seems as fresh now as ever. There are a number of recordings by Kyung-Wha Chung in the catalogue, both single and as part of collections. On YT check out my favourite one; if you don't like Bartok, please listen to the 2nd movement at least:

"Kyung-Wha Chung plays Bartók violin concerto No.2 with her brother Myung-Whun Chung and Suedwestfunks Symphony Orchestra. Filmed in 1984 for SWR Germany."


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

It always take time to get familiar with a violin concerto. I listened to more than 10 times in order to understand Beethoven VC just a little bit.


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Barber, Sibelius...Beethoven....probably my top three.


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

Brahmsianhorn said:


> Brahms:
> Bronislaw Huberman/Artur Rodzinski/NYPO (1944)
> Fritz Kreisler/Leo Blech/Berlin St Opera (1927)
> Jascha Heifetz/Serge Koussevitzky/BSO (1939)
> ...


I too love Heifetz in Sibelius, but do you have any specific issues with the Heifetz/Reiner collaborations? They did Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, and probably some I'm forgetting, all in top quality sound.


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist said:


> Can anyone recommend a unique recording of the Schumann VC? I feel like I should like it more than I do...


Rosbaud/Henryk Szeryng is really good and pretty unique (much faster than many more recent versions).


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

BachIsBest said:


> I too love Heifetz in Sibelius, but do you have any specific issues with the Heifetz/Reiner collaborations? They did Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, and probably some I'm forgetting, all in top quality sound.


Cold, rushed, mechanical


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

BachIsBest said:


> I too love Heifetz in Sibelius, but do you have any specific issues with the Heifetz/Reiner collaborations? They did Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, and probably some I'm forgetting, all in top quality sound.


I have a disk of Heifetz+CSO conducted by Reiner. They did Glazunov, Bach as well.


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

Brahmsianhorn said:


> Cold, rushed, mechanical


If you compare the Sibelius with Hendl to the one with Reiner, the tempo is virtually identical. I think this is perhaps a bit unfair.


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## Ravn (Jan 6, 2020)

In alphabetical order

Adams
Ades
Beethoven 
Berg
Brahms 
Gubaidulina (In tempus praesens)
Nordheim
Rihm - "Gesungene Zeit" (if that counts as a violin concerto)
Salonen
Schnittke 1 & 4
Sibelius
Søderlind

No particular recordings, except for Sibelius where I prefer Karajan/Mutter and Beethoven where I prefer Giulini/Perlman.


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

Ravn said:


> No particular recordings, except for Sibelius where I prefer Karajan/Mutter and Beethoven where I prefer Giulini/Perlman.


Have you heard Karajan/Ferras?


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

Ravn said:


> In alphabetical order
> 
> Adams
> Ades
> ...


What about the Beethoven soloed by Perlman conducted by Barenboim and played by BPO?


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Ravn said:


> No particular recordings, except for Sibelius where I prefer Karajan/Mutter and Beethoven where I prefer Giulini/Perlman.


Once you heard Kremer / Muti, your sold.


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## golfer72 (Jan 27, 2018)

wkasimer said:


> I'd put it near the top, right after Brahms and Beethoven. I'm surprised at how little love the Elgar concerto is receiving in this thread.


Im also surprised. I also like Moerans and Bax as well. I guess I like British Composers


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

The Elgar is second on my list, just behind the Brahms.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

wkasimer said:


> ... I'm surprised at how little love the Elgar concerto is receiving in this thread.


Another heads-up for Elgar too. His Violin Concerto and String Quartet don't get nearly enough credit. :tiphat:


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

Rogerx said:


>


It's a clever photo too. It looks like the two were in serious conversation and have just looked up at the camera. Kremer: "And as I was saying about that place in the Tchaikovsky Finale, this fingering is just flabby ..."


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## Coach G (Apr 22, 2020)

BachIsBest said:


> Have you heard Karajan/Ferras?


The Karajan/Ferras recording of the Sibelius concerto (DG, 1965)? It's a wonderful recording where the French Christian Ferras brings forth the sunnier qualities of the work. Usually Sibelius is thought of as cold and thick, but Ferras has such a warm tone that it sounds as crisp as the morning sun warming the April snow. While you might think that Karajan and his Berliners' heavy hand might weigh down Ferras' optimistic approach, it doesn't as Karajan provides support without taking over.

Like the comedian/actor, Freddie Prinze; the American rebel, Abbie Hoffman; and the developmental psychologist, Lawrence Kohlberg; Ferras suffered from major depression and took his own life during the 1980s. If said celebrities had lived just a bit longer, maybe some of the drugs we now use to treat depression by the 1990s such as Prozac and Paxil might have saved them. During the 1980s I was a young college student studying psychology and our Abnormal Psychology professor then described depression as primarily a "woman's problem"; but now we can assess that many men who suffer from depression and other mental health problems resist treatment because it would make them seem "unmanly". Common stereotypes we use to identify mental health issues often ridicule the patient like no other disease; but in the 1970s and 1980s there was even less understanding or empathy.

Anyway, The Ferras recording of the Sibelius concerto is fantastic.


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## szabomd (Dec 13, 2021)

My favourites (not ranked)

Beethoven
Mendelssohn
Brahms
Sibelius
Tchaikovsky
Goldmark
Bartók 2
Vivaldi autumn
Dvorak


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## golfer72 (Jan 27, 2018)

Merl said:


> Another heads-up for Elgar too. His Violin Concerto and String Quartet don't get nearly enough credit. :tiphat:


Nor does his very good Violin Sonata


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## Wigmar (7 mo ago)

My favourite violin concerto is that of Brahms, performed by Menuhin / Furtwangler (1949), or Oistrakh / Kondrashin (1950 or 1952) 🎼


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## Terrapin (Apr 15, 2011)

1a. Brahms
1b. Beethoven
1c. Tchaikovsky
1d. Mendelssohn
5. Sibelius
6. Bruch 1
7. Dvorak
8. Prokofiev 2
9. Saint-Saens No. 3
10. Wieniawski 2


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

For me there are three violin concertos that tower above the others - Brahms, Bartok 2 and Berg - but to pick one of these is nearly impossible. Few in this thread seem to choose Berg's concerto: I wonder why. I feel a number of others pushing up towards these three - Sibelius, Prokofiev 1, Beethoven, Elgar - but not quite getting there for me as they seem less iconic. And then there are a lot of great concertos that I listen to a lot but don't revere quite as much.


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## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

haziz said:


> In rough order from favorite to less so (I do absolutely love all of the listed concertos):
> 
> Sibelius VC - favorite recording is by David Oistrakh, the modern recording by Batiashvili comes close
> Bruch VC1 - favorite recording is a bit hard to pin down but either recording by Kyung Wha Chung is fine with me
> ...



My best Violin Concerto stinks. Well, actually it does not exist. I am not a composer, and have never managed to come up with a decent tune or hummed a tune well.

When it comes to my favorite Violin Concertos from the repertoire, the above choices still stand. It is one of my favorite genres.


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## EvaBaron (Jan 3, 2022)

Enthusiast said:


> For me there are three violin concertos that tower above the others - Brahms, Bartok 2 and Berg - but to pick one of these is nearly impossible. Few in this thread seem to choose Berg's concerto: I wonder why. I feel a number of others pushing up towards these three - Sibelius, Prokofiev 1, Beethoven, Elgar - but not quite getting there for me as they seem less iconic. And then there are a lot of great concertos that I listen to a lot but don't revere quite as much.


If you want to talk about iconic violin concertos I’d suggest starting with Mendelssohn, not Berg


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

^ And I would look at you questioningly and wonder why. I _quite _like the Mendelssohn.


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## EvaBaron (Jan 3, 2022)

Enthusiast said:


> ^ And I would look at you questioningly and wonder why. I _quite _like the Mendelssohn.


Because of the iconic opening of the Mendelssohn concerto. But I realise that iconic to you can mean something else. I have never listened to Berg’s violin concerto


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

EvaBaron said:


> Because of the iconic opening of the Mendelssohn concerto. But I realise that iconic to you can mean something else. I have never listened to Berg’s violin concerto


Yes, I think iconic means something different to me. You have a treat in store with the Berg concerto!


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## RobertJTh (Sep 19, 2021)

KevinW said:


> What are your best violin concertos?


I haven't written one yet!


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## EvaBaron (Jan 3, 2022)

Enthusiast said:


> Yes, I think iconic means something different to me. You have a treat in store with the Berg concerto!


Any recording recommendations? I’ll listen to it tonight. In the mood for some new music anyway


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## RobertJTh (Sep 19, 2021)

EvaBaron said:


> Any recording recommendations? I’ll listen to it tonight. In the mood for some new music anyway


Szeryng/Kubelik is the classic one, and it comes on a well filled cd with the Schoenberg violin and piano concertos.
Be prepared for the proverbial lump in the troat, it's one of the most emotionally shattering pieces I know.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

EvaBaron said:


> Any recording recommendations? I’ll listen to it tonight. In the mood for some new music anyway


It is one of those works that responds to a variety of approaches. Isabelle Faust is excellent. Suk also and Zehetmair. But there are many good ones.


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## tantokuore (6 mo ago)

Schumann: Violin Concerto in D minor. Very dark tone, atmosphere and tension.
I cannot but recommend.


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## 1950craigmillar (6 mo ago)

KevinW said:


> Hello TC members,
> 
> As an amateur violinist, my best genre of classical music is violin concertos. I listen to a vareity of them, from Bach BWV 1041/42 to Vivaldi Concerto for four violins, and to Mozart 7 Violin Concertos (my best as of now) as well as Romantic violin concertos. I haven't heard too much of 20th century concertos except for Shostakovich.
> 
> ...


 I am surprised that Korngold isn't mentioned often. The slow movement of the VC is one of the most beautiful things in the repetoire; Gil Shaham is great here, as he is in so much of the repertoire.


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