As a proud lifelong cellist, I have an embarrassing confession to make: I really love violin concertos. Growing up with an older sister who played the violin, I would never admit just how much I liked them, but I’ve always had a very soft spot for that magic combination of violin and orchestra. I’d even go so far as to *gulp* say that the violin has the strongest lineup of concertos of any instrument. It pains me to say that; I’d put my favorite cello concertos up against violin concertos any day, but so many more quality composers have written for the violin that the “bench” is much stronger. With so many good options, I figured the world needed a reliable, 125% scientifically accurate method of appraising the best of the best. Using my patented sa-bow-metrics techniques, I have narrowed down a large list to the 10 best violin concertos in the world. For our purposes here I have only listed pieces that explicitly call themselves concertos (apologies to the likes of Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole and Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy). And now: onward!
Disqualified on a Technicality: Concerto for Two Violins, J.S. Bach
There are already too many good violin concertos out there, and if I left this one in the running it would elbow its way toward the top. So, since it features TWO violins instead of one, I’ve relegated it to its own side category. If you think Baroque music is dull, or too mechanical with little emotion, check yourself with this piece, one of the most sublime, exquisite concertos ever written. The interplay between the two violins and the orchestra fits perfectly, but the puzzle-like nature of the piece does not detract from its pulsing emotion, especially in the second movement.
Overrated: Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
I know this is a “classic” of the repertoire, but I’ve never been a big fan, perhaps because I have mixed feelings about the Great Russian in general. Something about this concerto just does not sit right with me, and it feels like an inferior version of some of the other concertos on this list. In conclusion, BOOOOOOOOOOOO.
The Hardest Cuts:
A few that narrowly missed being on the list. I’m not as high on the Mendelssohn concerto as some, but it’s still great and a classic. I also love the 3rd Saint-Saens Violin Concerto, which is one of the more underrated standards out there. The concerto by Aram Khachaturian is full of fire and passion, which I tend to love in concertos. And, if you’re just looking for a little flash over substance, try the 1st of Paganini’s concertos.
THE LIST PROPER
10. Concerto No. 1 in a minor, Dmitri Shostakovich
Surprisingly, given my love for the man overall, Shostakovich’s concerto is the newest to me of those on this list. For whatever reason I had never given it a listen until my beloved sister recommended it. It has quickly grown in my estimation – full of the Shostakovichian fire and gloom. It is on the melancholic side for him – it doesn’t have the sarcastic energy of his 1st Cello Concerto (which, incidentally, is my favorite concerto written for the world’s best instrument). Still, it has moments of pure, heartbreaking beauty. Don’t be surprised if this continues to inch its way up my list.
9. Concerto No. 5 in A Major, W.A. Mozart
Sorry, there’s no way a list of violin concertos can be taken seriously with no Mozart concerto on the list. All of them are great, so I picked his last as the stand in for the rest. It gets a slight edge because of the faux-reign feel it has (it’s subtitled the Turkish Concerto) and because of how much fun it is.
8. Concerto in D Major, Ludwig van Beethoven
As in all things, Beethoven radically changed the nature of the violin concerto with this monster. The first movement alone clocks in at over 20 minutes (longer than the entire Bach Double). It’s a soaring, romantic piece of work that pushes the violinist technically and expressively. Though some who came after went even beyond Beethoven, they are all indebted to this foundational piece.
7. Concerto in a minor, Antonin Dvorak
Though nothing he wrote can compare to his unparalleled cello concerto, Dvorak’s violin concerto is also lovely and full of the Slavic influence he so loved. It has a jarring feeling in parts, especially the beginning, but also flows nicely and even has a dance like quality by the end.
6. Concerto No. 1 in g minor, Max Bruch
In case you can’t tell by now, I love minor concertos. I feel like the violin works especially well when it has an edge to it that undercuts the brightness of the higher reaches of the instrument. Bruch’s concerto plays that up nicely, with lots of passage work lower in the instrument’s range. The first two devastating, meaty movements give way to a finale of pure joy and excitement, one of the best closing movements in a concerto period.
5. Concerto in D Major, Erich Korngold
If there is one piece on this list I would advocate for to my grave, it is this critically underrated violin concerto by the master of film music Erich Korngold. Best known for his scores from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Korngold here proves the value of recycling, as each of the movements in this concerto takes as its starting point one of his film scores. Despite the variety of starting points, the music in the concerto fits together in a great way, melting together in the lush smoothness of Korngold’s melodies. It’s a romantic, challenging piece that deserves more recognition.
4. Concerto No. 1, Philip Glass
At first the idea of a violin concerto by Philip Glass, master of minimalism, seems counter intuitive. After all, isn’t a concerto supposed to show off the abilities of the soloist? How do you do that within the confines of a repetitive, bare bones aesthetic. Listen to the piece and wonder no more, friends – Glass builds a hypnotic, mesmerizing concerto, with plenty of chances for the violin to shine. Even among his incredible body of work, this is a standout piece of Glass.
3. Violin Concerto, Samuel Barber
Seriously. Seriously. Seriously. How great is this piece? So good it only needs 20 minutes to accomplish what most concertos wish they could do in 40. It’s a holy crap concerto from start to finish. The moment the silky smooth violin starts up, you know you are in for something special. Barber swerves from lush to violent, and ends up with a killer finale, a moto perpetuo that sounds like pure torture for the violinist but pure bliss for the rest of us.
1b. Violin Concerto in D Major, Johannes Brahms
That’s right, it’s a tie for first! I found it impossible to choose decisively between this concerto and the next, so I lumped them together in one top of the heap supergroup. The Brahms is often considered the most difficult violin concerto ever written, and with good reason. Huge jumps, punishing double stops, and virtuoso pyrotechnics: this piece has it all. No more showboatcase, though, it marries these technical feats to a piece so lovely and lush that it will melt your ears, then mold and rebuild them, giving you a new appreciation for life. And, yes, I’ve never been able to hear the third movement the same way since Paul Thomas Anderson used it to brilliant effect in There Will Be Blood.
As great as the Brahms is, I might give a slight edge to..
1a. Violin Concerto in d minor, Jean Sibelius
Here it is, the creme de la creme. I give the Sibelius a slight edge over the Brahms for a few reasons. First, because Sibelius’ overall body of work is much less impressive than that of the Bearded Wonder.
Seriously, this is Brahms. Be jealous. Very jealous.
Second, this concerto is just too damn exciting. That first movement, with its sinister motifs and driving energy, gets my blood pumping like nothing else. I’m not quite as high on the other two movements, though I love them as well, but the opening more than makes up for it. It captures everything that makes the violin a great instrument: the flash, the feels, the fluidity. Music at its finest. Just don’t tell my sister.
