Top 10 Favorite VCs

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Mozart 3

Been a while since I've listened to that one. Probably should change that...

And incoming:

Mozart 5

Bullseye!!

[Sammy]

Mozart's 3 and 5 are easily my favorites of his 5 numbered v. concertos.

[springrite]

Berg
Barber
Beethoven
Alwyn
Brahms
Sibelius
Martin
Elgar
Bach in E
Tchaikovsky

[kyjo]

Berg
Barber
Beethoven
Alwyn
Brahms
Sibelius
Martin
Elgar
Bach in E
Tchaikovsky

You're the second person to mention the Frank Martin VC, and for good reason. It's my favorite work of his and possibly his masterpiece. Martin, usually an elusive, restrained composer, really poured his heart into this work. Schneiderhan delivers a killer performance of it on this excellent set:

[asin]B0000042DI[/asin]

Also, kudos for including the Alwyn! John's got a point that it is a bit overlong, but that doesn't necessarily detract from my enjoyment of it.

[Sammy]

Berg
Barber
Beethoven
Alwyn
Brahms
Sibelius
Martin
Elgar
Bach in E
Tchaikovsky

I didn't think of Martin's - it's a great work.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Mozart's 3 and 5 are easily my favorites of his 5 numbered v. concertos.

The finale of the 5th is a particular favorite of mine!

[Brian]

Aulin #3
Bach E major, and for two violins
Dvorak
Martinu 2, and for two violins
Mozart #3
Sibelius
Tchaikovsky
Wieniawski #2

[springrite]

Good to see others also liking my two dark horses: Martin and Alwyn

[Brian]

Martinu 2, and for two violins

By the way, Martinu's wonderful concerto for two violins was premiered in the city where I am typing this: Dallas, Texas.

[North Star]

Including 18th & early 19th century would require another list.

Prokofiev 1st & 2nd
Shosty 1st
Janacek
Martinu 2nd
Berg
Elgar
Brahms
Schumann
Sibelius

[Wanderer]

In no particular order:

Beethoven
Brahms
Tchaikovsky
Elgar
Sibelius (original version)
Skalkottas Concerto for 2 violins
Schumann
Prokofiev (both)
Korngold
Szymanowski (both)

[Sergeant Rock]

Havergal Brian
Bartok #1
Berg
Bach A minor BWV 1041
Elgar
Glass #1
Mendelssohn E minor
Schoenberg
Tchaikovsky
Vivaldi (take your pick  )


Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Havergal Brian
Bartok #1
Berg
Bach A minor BWV 1041
Elgar
Glass
Mendelssohn E minor
Schoenberg
Tchaikovsky
Vivaldi (take your pick  )

Neither of the Shostakovich nor of the Prokofiev? I'm cryin' here, Sarge. 

[Karl Henning]

It's great that you think that highly of the Schoenberg and the Tchaikovsky, though!

[Sergeant Rock]

Neither of the Shostakovich nor of the Prokofiev? I'm cryin' here, Sarge. 

I love Violin Concertos, and the babes who play them  ...it's impossible for me to make a list of only ten favorites. So I went with some of the more obscure, but still loved by me, rather than the obvious. That said, I could not omit Tchaikovsky or Mendelssohn...although, how obvious can one get 

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Well, there are some of less principle out there who do omit Tchaikovsky, and note is taken . . . .

[Karl Henning]

Uh-oh, I see that my badinage has unwittingly snared Karlo . . . .

[kyjo]

Neither of the Shostakovich nor of the Prokofiev? I'm cryin' here, Sarge. 

So am I!

[kyjo]

In no particular order:

Beethoven
Brahms
Tchaikovsky
Elgar
Sibelius (original version)
Skalkottas Concerto for 2 violins
Schumann
Prokofiev (both)
Korngold
Szymanowski (both)

Great list! I was especially intrigued by your inclusion of the Skalkottas. I have failed to completely warm to Skalkottas' twelve-tone works, but his tonal works I adore quite a bit. I'll have to give his dodecaphonic works, especially the concerto you mentioned, another spin.

[bhodges]

Ligeti
Shostakovich No. 1
Prokofiev No. 2
Jukka Tiensuu - Just heard it once, the premiere with Cho-Liang Lin last summer, and still think about it - needs a recording.
Esa-Pekka Salonen - Again, after one hearing, this will surely be one of the first great VC's of the 21st century.
Barber
Berg
Gubaidulina In Tempus Praesens - Her second, after Offertorium, and as great as the first one is, I like this even better.
Bartók No. 2
Dutilleux Violin Concerto "L'arbre des songes"

--Bruce