# Favorite Violin Piece



## Queen of the Nerds

When you're done, post in the comments what piece you picked, and why!
If you picked "Other", tell me what your favorite is, and why!
I'll start.
My favorite is Mendelssohn's "Violin Concerto in E Minor" because not only was it a breakthrough in concertos, it also has exquisite melodies, many lightning-speed passages, and of course: the sheer amount of beauty and GENIUS in it.
Your turn!


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## Kibbles Croquettes

I guess a piece that I most often listen to for it's violiness is Schnittke's 1st violin sonata. The 4th movement is just rockin':





When I have unrealistic thoughts (after too many drinks) about how accessible postmodern music is to people who haven't listened to classical music, this is usually what I play to them.


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## SixFootScowl

Hard for me to vote as I have not heard many of these pieces, but I do like very much Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Saint-Saëns' violin concertos.


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## Ingélou

Other: I like Baroque music, so would choose Biber's Guardian Angel Passacaglia from his Mystery Sonatas, or else the Bach Double Violin Concerto. 
Like Florestan, I don't know many of the others, but will have fun investigating.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

My favourite is "Anthèmes II" because of the exploration of what violin sounds can be heard and produced with the help of electronics.


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## ptr

Love Ligeti's Concerto! And a lot of other contemporary violin works, but none of the alternatives on the choice list arouse me that much!

/ptr


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## MoonlightSonata

I chose the Paganini, largely because of #24 which seems to have inspired just about every composer in history.


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## soundoftritones

I chose "Gypsy Airs" by Pablo de Sarasate. It seems to me that Sarasate makes strings produce the most wildly powerful sounds with mordents and accentuating percussion; truly, an exotic Gypsy feel to it. I couldn't stop listening to his music after I found his airs. Got addicted to his Caprice Basque after I saw the Vengerov master class, and a student playing it *~*

And then... outside of the list, I'd have to say Wieniawski is my next guilty addiction. Scherzo Tarantelle duet for violin and piano. Enough said.


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## DiesIraeCX

As others have also stated, I haven't heard a few of these, but I gave the slight edge to Beethoven's _Violin Concerto_. My other favorites are Brahms, Stravinsky, and Mendelssohn's Violin Concertos. As well as the LvB "Kreutzer" Violin Sonata.


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## QuietGuy

My favorite violin piece is Barber's Violin Concerto. On the whole, it's a very sweet lyrical composition.


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## pianississimo

I chose Tchaikovsky but my other favourite is Sibelius. Surprised it's not on the list.
Also Bach violin partitas and solo sontatas are some of my favourite works of all.


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## The nose

For me it's Berg's _Violinkonzert_


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## joen_cph

Other -

Debussy´s Violin Sonata (Gitlis, Argerich), the concertos by Elgar, Gubaidulina (no.1) & Pettersson (no.2).

Should have voted for Bruch and "The 4 Seasons" too, though, possibly the Mozart concerti as well.


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## Blancrocher

Ingélou said:


> Other: I like Baroque music, so would choose Biber's Guardian Angel Passacaglia from his Mystery Sonatas, or else the Bach Double Violin Concerto.


Perhaps also the Vitali Chaconne? There are numerous arrangements, but I hold with the version for violin and organ (Heifetz/Ellsasser).


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## PeteW

Queen of the Nerds said:


> When you're done, post in the comments what piece you picked, and why!
> If you picked "Other", tell me what your favorite is, and why!
> I'll start.
> My favorite is Mendelssohn's "Violin Concerto in E Minor" because not only was it a breakthrough in concertos, it also has exquisite melodies, many lightning-speed passages, and of course: the sheer amount of beauty and GENIUS in it.
> Your turn!


I love the Mendelssohn, Bruch and Tchaikovsky and particularly like Junco Fukada's performance of the Tchaikovsky on YouTube.

I love the Mendelssohn and the Bruch and the Tchaikovsky - particularly like performance of the Tchaikovsky by


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## MoonlightSonata

QuietGuy said:


> My favorite violin piece is Barber's Violin Concerto. On the whole, it's a very sweet lyrical composition.


I don't know if it's true, but I read that the violinist for whom it was composed complained that the first two movements were two easy, so Barber wrote a finale that was too difficult for him to play.


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## Queen of the Nerds

soundoftritones:
My school has a program where they bring in guest artists to perform, sometimes with our high-schoolers. Recently, they brought in BOJIDARA KOUZMANOVA to perform Gypsy Airs with the high-school orchestra. IT. WAS. EPIC. It was also the first time I heard that piece. Love it.


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## Queen of the Nerds

I'll have to listen to the Sibelius. Haven't heard about it before I read your comment. Hmm. Maybe after I listen to some the pieces suggested, I'll make a second version. How's that?


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## hpowders

QuietGuy said:


> My favorite violin piece is Barber's Violin Concerto. On the whole, it's a very sweet lyrical composition.


Yes. Twentieth Century neo-romanticism at its best. Shamelessly and proudly conservative!


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## starthrower

Gubaidulina-Offertorium
Ligeti-violin concerto
Bernstein-Serenade


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