[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 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 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.
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 in D minor, MWV 03: I. Allegro moltoFelix Mendelssohn
A Violin Concerto composed by Felix Mendelssohn in 1822.
After Mendelssohn’s death, the score passed through various hands and was inherited by different people, but the very existence of the work was long forgotten.
It is a piece that combines fluid elegance with passionate intensity.
Please also pay attention to the virtuosic melodies of the violin solo!
Violin Concerto in E majorJ.S.Bach
It begins with arpeggios in E major and gradually develops as it approaches the end.
In the development section, it’s upgraded as if it had about four different faces, unconstrained by the original tone of the piece.
In contrast, the second and third movements simply repeat the same theme, so compared to the first movement they feel somewhat monotonous.
Sonatina in A minorFranz Schubert
Schubert is best known for his songs, but he also wrote numerous pieces for the violin.
A sonatina is a work built on sonata form, but with a more concise musical structure than a full sonata.
Even so, despite its concision, the interplay is highly elaborate, giving a sense of quality that can surpass that of a sonata.