Topic: Your Top Violin Concertos!

[mc ukrneal]

I have many, many favorites but here are ten that really stand out to me:

1. Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1
2. Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 1
3. Stravinsky: Violin Concerto
4. Bartok: Violin Concerto No. 2
5. Berg: Violin Concerto
6. Barber: Violin Concerto
7. Ligeti: Violin Concerto
8. Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 1
9. Lindberg: Violin Concerto
10. Britten: Violin Concerto

I must say, this list does not come as a surprise (though I actively dislike the Ligeti). Besides, I offset your list. Here's mine:
Mendelssohn
Beethoven
Brahms
Bruch
Elgar
Bach (for two violins)
Paganini (#2 I guess, but I do love #1)
Tchaikovsky
Mozart (probably #4. but #3 is great too and I could see #5 as well)
Saint-Saens (#3)

But this leaves off the wonderful Bartok, Barber, and Prokofiev (but who do I remove)! Have you heard the Myasakovsky? That is pretty interesting too. And then there is Hubay and Vieuxtemps, not to mention Sibelius (just not a favorite). And I didn't even know that Wolf-Ferrari wrote a violin concerto. And then there are just so many more that neither of us have mentioned.

[The new erato]

And I didn't even know that Wolf-Ferrari wrote a violin concerto.

It's quite retty, even extensively quoting a popular song from my hometown Tronheim, Norway.

And then there are just so many more that neither of us have mentioned.

I particularly love Milhaud's 2nd, perhaps the only work of Milhaud I would use the word love of. And Malipiero's concerto perhaps is the best work of him I know.

[Sergeant Rock]

My top ten with favorite performances:

Vivaldi Violin Concerto E minor RV277  Mullova/Antonini/Il Giardino Armonico

Bach Violin Concerto A minor BWV1041  Mutter/Accardo/English Chamber Orchestra

Mozart Violin Concerto #5 A major K.219  Mutter/Mutter/London Philharmonic

Mendelssohn Violin Concerto E minor  Jansen/Chailly/Gewandhaus Leipzig

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto D major  Belkin/Ashkenazy/New Philharmonia

Elgar Violin Concerto B minor  Chung/Solti/London Philharmonic or Bean/Groves/Royal Liverpool

Bartok Violin Concerto #1 (That's not a typo) Chung/Solti/Chicago Symphony

Havergal Brian Violin Concerto C major  Bisengaliev/Friend/BBC Scottish

Berg Violin Concerto  Chung/Solti/Chicago Symphony or Watanabe/Sinopoli/Dresden

Prokofiev Violin Concerto #2 G minor  Mullova/Previn/Royal Philharmonic


Sarge

[Scion7]

Well, obviously the obvious - the Beethoven, the Brahms, the Tchaikovsky - technically and artistically just wonderful.

Bartok's first - the raw emotion of unrequited love/lust is very apparent!

Schoenberg's is interesting.  Bruch's first and the Scottish Fantasy.  Mozart's Sinfonia concertante.

Mendelssohn's in e.  Dvorak's in a.

. . . but there are so many really fine works - Hindemith, Shostakovich, Bacewicz, Spohr, ....

Of course, Bach and Vivaldi wrote magnificent "concertos" but the Baroque's definition of concerto is somewhat different than what it came to be accepted as.

... and Berg's and Schumann's and Prokofiev's and and and ...

[Jeffrey Smith]

It's quite pretty, even extensively quoting a popular song from my hometown Tronheim, Norway.

Amazon lists two recordings.  This is the one for which the lowest price is not almost $90US. 

It would probably be easier for me to list the ones I don't like--of which Ligeti heads the list, followed by Guibaldina, I'm afraid--but those are two composers with whom I don't get along very well, so to speak.  And there are loads that I haven't heard.  Like the Milhaud and (this might sound odd, but it's true) the Stravinsky, since those are two composers with whose music I generally don't connect. 

I would draw everyone's attention to the Corigliano and Adams concertos, if they haven't heard those yet. 

My overall favoritest bestest most violinconcertoest violin concerto is probably Shostakovich 1.   

[nico1616]

1) Beethoven
2) Brahms

.... miles and miles  ...

3) Shostakovich 1
4) Tchaikovsky
5) Elgar
6) Sibelius
7) Mendelssohn

[raduneo]

Brahms (Rachel Burton)
Tchaikovsky (Oistrakh)
Sibelius (Hahn OR Batiashvilli)
Glazunov (Fischer)
Mendelssohn
Bartok 2
Shostakovich
Dutilleux
Barber
Vasks
Schoenberg
Berg
Ligeti
Unsuk Chin (just figured this one out, it really is a worthy succesor to the Ligeti!)

[violinconcerto]

And I didn't even know that Wolf-Ferrari wrote a violin concerto. And then there are just so many more that neither of us have mentioned.

If you want a complete view who wrote what for violin and orchestra in the 20th century than check out:

www.violinconcerto.de

10.000 compositions by more than 6.000 composers just from the 20th century (with recording notes)!

[TheGSMoeller]

Not sure if it's been mentioned...

I've always loved the Scottish Fantasy, Op. 46 by Bruch, perhaps it's not considered a concerto, but it's a lovely piece.

Otherwise, my favorites include the VCs of Berg, Stravinsky, Britten, Mendelssohn, and any by Vivaldi or Bach.

[Lethevich]

Some enduring favourites:

Mendelssohn
Vasks
Dvořák
Schoenberg
Brahms
Moeran
Stravinsky
Strauss
Sibelius
Rubbra
Bartók 2
Joachim 2

[Josquin des Prez]

Beethoven and Brahms. Boring choices are boring, i know, but what can i say, i like those the best.

[raduneo]

Beethoven and Brahms. Boring choices are boring, i know, but what can i say, i like those the best.

For some strange reason, I could never get into the Beethoven (I feel a bit embarassed by it ). Hopefully it's not too late! Which recording do you reccomend? which recording is the best in your opinion? Is there a recording that is more friendly for newbies?

Thank you in advance!

[North Star]

For some strange reason, I could never get into the Beethoven (I feel a bit embarassed by it ). Hopefully it's not too late! Which recording do you reccomend? which recording is the best in your opinion? Is there a recording that is more friendly for newbies?

Thank you in advance!

Zehetmair & Brüggen is excellent

[Drasko]

Tchaikovsky
Sibelius
Stravinsky
Brahms
Berg
Korngold
Bartok 2
Bruch Scottish Fantasy