[Violin] A curated selection of beloved classic masterpieces and popular pieces that continue to be cherished across eras
The violin, an instrument beloved since the Baroque era—the very roots of classical music.
At times graceful, at times passionately expressive, the violin’s richly nuanced tone continues to soothe our hearts.
In this article, we introduce classical masterpieces that let you fully enjoy the charm of the violin, adored both as a solo instrument and as the star of orchestras and ensembles.
We’ll also share tidbits about the historical context of their composition and the composers themselves, so even newcomers to classical music can enjoy with ease!
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[Violin] Carefully Selected Timeless and Beloved Classical Masterpieces and Popular Pieces (91–100)
Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 19Sergei Prokofiev
Prokofiev was a Russian composer whose career spanned from the Imperial Russian era into the Soviet period.
This violin concerto was written the year before the Russian Revolution and features a beautiful opening violin solo along with grotesque, unsettling melodies that seem to reflect the sentiments of the people at the time.
Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 100Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms, renowned as a master of Romantic music.
In the summer of 1886, by the shores of Lake Thun in Switzerland, he composed a sonata for violin and piano that is regarded as the most lyrical of his three sonatas.
Characterized by graceful, dreamlike sonorities, the work overflows with a bright, expansive atmosphere, befitting a piece written during a happy period in Brahms’s life.
Its gentle, supple melodies unfold to create a pleasing resonance that stirs rich emotions.
It is as if the natural, scenic surroundings in which it was composed are expressed through the music itself.
Hungarian Dance No. 7Johannes Brahms
Brahms’s Hungarian Dances were originally written for piano four hands.
However, none of the pieces in the set—not just No.
7—has an opus number.
This is because they are not original compositions by Brahms but rather transcriptions and arrangements of Hungarian Romani music.
In fact, after publication he was sued for plagiarism, but he won the case on the grounds that they were labeled as arrangements.
Be that as it may, the springy rhythms and powerful melodies have a distinctly folk-dance character that really sets the heart dancing!
Violin Concerto No. 22Tomaso Antonio Vitali
This concerto is what you might call a student-oriented concerto, and it’s often chosen as a set piece for junior competitions and music high school entrance exams.
Although it’s aimed at students, it’s not to be underestimated: it surprisingly demands advanced techniques such as rapid trills, sophisticated shifting, and scales in thirds.
Violin ConcertoAleksandr Glazunov
A Russian composer who was active around the same time as Tchaikovsky, he unfolds passages in his works that evoke a distinctly Russian melancholy.
Unlike traditional concertos, it is not divided into separate movements; instead, four scenes are woven into a single whole, allowing you to savor it like an expansive, long-form masterpiece.
Violin ConcertoAram Khachaturian
Khachaturian was an Armenian conductor and composer from Georgia who was active in the 20th century.
The city where he was born and raised, Tbilisi, means “the city of song,” and growing up surrounded by Georgian bands and Armenian street performances, he won fame by bringing enchanting, untamed rhythms and melodies into the orchestra.
In this piece as well, powerful rhythms and dance-like violin vitality weave in Romani earthiness and an Arabian wistfulness, creating a singular presence.
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61: Rondo – AllegroLudwig van Beethoven
The only completed violin concerto written by Beethoven.
It is one of the works from Beethoven’s middle period, which produced numerous masterpieces and is often called his “heroic” or “masterwork” period.
The third movement is in rondo form: after the violin presents the main theme as a solo, the orchestra repeats it to begin.
The violin then plays a secondary theme followed by rapid passages, and returns to the main theme, which the orchestra again repeats—a typical rondo structure.
After the solo violin sings a beautiful cadenza, it heads toward the climax together with the orchestra.
PaganinianaNathan Milstein
It’s a piece that compresses several of Paganini’s famous works into a single short composition, focusing mainly on the Caprices and Witches’ Dance, among others.
It’s a top recommendation for those who want to start getting to know Paganini, and it’s well-suited for concert performance.
Since it lets you become familiar with multiple pieces in one go, you’ll likely find it engaging and not at all boring.
Swan Lake · Opening 20a · TH219: Russian DancePyotr Tchaikovsky
It is used in Act 3 of Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake, in the brilliant scene featuring dances from around the world.
Along with The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, Swan Lake is considered one of the three great ballets.
The work depicts the love story of Odette, transformed into a swan, and Prince Siegfried.
Please enjoy the virtuosic violin passages and the glittering melody.
Three RomancesRobert Schumann
Throughout, this piece evokes the fragrance of Schumann’s “Träumerei,” and it’s not uncommon for violinists to select just one movement from it for use in concerts.
Schumann’s own works tend to have dramatic ups and downs, which can divide opinion, but this piece has an almost healing quality, making it recommendable even to those who are hesitant about Schumann.