Lovely classics

[Violin] A curated selection of beloved classic masterpieces and popular pieces that continue to be cherished across eras

Representative, Elysion Philharmonic Orchestrasai-kisaragi
Heisei College of Music, Composition Course. Studied composition and conducting under Keizo Ideta, piano under Chinami Kira, and arts management under Takuma Konishi. With a focus on community and music, I work to revitalize my hometown of Saga Prefecture. While performing as a double bassist with wind ensembles and orchestras across Kyushu, I participated on double bass in the “Orchestra Without Borders” orchestra camp of the professional game and anime music ensemble Eminence Orchestra, held in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture in September 2012. During CAPCOM’s Kyushu Tour in 2016, I not only performed as an orchestra member but also served on the production staff. I currently serve as the managing representative for the game and anime performance groups Elysion Philharmonic Orchestra (Saga Prefecture) and Fukuoka Game Music Wind Orchestra (Fukuoka Prefecture), and handle conducting, arranging, and public relations.
Accompanist / Piano Instructoryuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.

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!

[Violin] Carefully Selected Timeless and Beloved Classical Masterpieces and Popular Pieces (91–100)

Swan Lake · Opening 20a · TH219: Russian DancePyotr Tchaikovsky

Russian Dance (ballet)

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.

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Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 19Sergei Prokofiev

Sayaka Shoji plays Prokofiev : Violin Concerto No.1 in D major, Op.19

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.

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Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 100Johannes Brahms

Augustin Hadelich and Orion Weiss play Brahms sonata no. 2 in A Major Op. 100

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.

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Hungarian Dance No. 7Johannes Brahms

Brahms: 21 Hungarian Dances, WoO 1: Hungarian Dance No. 7 in F Major. Allegretto (Orch. Schmeling)

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!

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Violin Concerto No. 22Tomaso Antonio Vitali

Viotti: Violin Concerto No. 22 in A minor — Violin: Accardo

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.

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