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Of course you know of the Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky violin concerti, even if you can’t identify the composer. There are certain pieces in the violin concerto repertory that are so well known, they are referred to by the name of their composer only.
Yet there are many violin concerti out there, perhaps not as popular on the concert stage, but still make an important contribution to the growth and maturation of violinists so that they can eventually play these great works. I am talking, of course, about the student violin concerto.
Student concerti, or concertos, are often technically less difficult than other concerti. They often are not as virtuosic and tend to remain in the lower positions on the violin.
Like studies, these concerti are often composed to address certain technical deficits in the student. A student work is rather difficult to define, and many would debate the inclusion of many of the works included on this list.
Some may include Vieuxtemps 5 or Bruch 2 on the list, merely based on the amount of young violinists that play them. Except, following this logic, you’d end up considering Mendelssohn as a student concerto.
Though they have a reputation of being student works due to their relatively low technical requirements, many of these works are still great compositions in their own right.
Often people frame the debate between “student” concerti and “real” concerti, but these people couldn’t be more wrong! You can tell by listening to these so-called student works that they have a great value despite this label.
In fact, you would be hard pressed to find a professional orchestral audition that did not require the first movement of a Mozart violin concerto!
1. Accolay: Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor
Jean-Baptiste Accolay composed this concerto for violin and orchestra in 1868. It is a one-movement work intended for students.
Interestingly, there is doubt about Accolay’s existence, since no records of him exist. Some believe that he was an alias of Henri Vieuxtemps to write pedagogical pieces.
This concerto is his most enduring piece: both simple and effective. Itzhak Perlman recorded the piece, and you can listen to it here:
2. Bach: Concerto for 2 Violins in D Minor
Also known as the Bach Double, this is one of J. S. Bach’s most well known pieces. This Baroque work was written between 1717 and 1723 for two violins, strings and basso continuo.
3. De BĂ©riot: Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major
Belgian violinist and composer Charles Auguste de BĂ©riot wrote this three-movement work in 1868. It is a great example of romantic violin playing, with a burgeoning virtuosic style with large leaps, trills, and double stops.
4. Haydn: Violin Concerto No. 1 in C Major
This is the first of three violin concerti written by Franz Joseph Haydn. The piece is also in three movements, with a bold theme consisting of double stops in the first.
Though, as a classical concerto, it is perhaps not as virtuosic as its romantic counterpart, this piece still requires considerable ability to play cleanly and musically.
5. Kabalevsky: Violin Concerto in C Manor
Featuring a fast first movement, slow and moving second movement, and a third movement even faster and more technical than the first, this is not your average student concerto!
The twentieth-century Soviet composer Dmitry Kabalevsky composed this work in 1948 and dedicated it to Soviet youth. Kabalevsky intended this work to be an advanced and tasteful model of this genre for young players.
David Oistrakh:
6. Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major
Considered the easiest of his latter 3 concerti, Mozart’s Violin Concerto in G Major still boasts some technical feats. The melodies, though simple enough, require efficient right-arm bow distribution and clear left-hand articulation to be effective.
Here is a recording of the piece by Hilary Hahn:
7. Rieding: Violin Concerto in B Minor
This short piece is one of the most beloved student concerti along with Accolay and Vivaldi. Oskar Rieding’s concerto is less technically demanding than some on the list, like the Mozart and the Kabelevsky. This piece offers a simple, yet beautiful melody that is well suited for the violin.
Itzhak Perlman included a recoding of this piece in his CD “Concertos from my Childhood”, which can be heard here:
8. Seitz: Student Concerto for Violin & Orchestra No. 2 in G Major
Fritz Seitz composed this concerto, along with seven others for students. The second in G Major is perhaps the most famous. This is a relatively easy concerto, but played well, it can be quite exciting.
Itzhak Perlman also includes this concerto in “Concertos from my Childhood”, here:
9. Viotti: Concerto for Violin & Orchestra No. 22 in A Minor
Italian violinist and composer Giovanni Battista Viotti wrote a sizable 29 violin concerti in his lifetime. Perhaps the most cherished is No. 22, but recently Italian violinist Franco Mezzena released a CD of all 29 works so that they may not be forgotten.
Here, though, is a recording of Arthur Grumiaux playing the first movement of No. 22:
10. Vivaldi: Violin Concerto in A Minor
If any piece on this list is a staple in the young musician’s diet, it is this one. Italian Baroque violinist and teacher Antonio Vivaldi composed this work as part of a twelve-concerto collection entitled L’estro Arminico published in 1711.
Vivaldi, also known as “The Red Priest”, taught music to young girls at a home for abandoned children. Thus, the works in this volume are intended for young players to augment their technical ability.
Here is a recording of the entire work:
