Violin concerto

Summary

A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble (customarily orchestra). Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up through the present day. Many major composers have contributed to the violin concerto repertoire.

David Oistrakh playing a violin concerto, 1960

Traditionally a three-movement work, the violin concerto has been structured in four movements by a number of modern composers, including Dmitri Shostakovich, Igor Stravinsky, and Alban Berg.[a] In some violin concertos, especially from the Baroque and modern eras, the violin (or group of violins) is accompanied by a chamber ensemble rather than an orchestra—for instance, in Vivaldi's L'estro armonico, originally scored for four violins, two violas, cello, and continuo, and in Allan Pettersson's first concerto, for violin and string quartet.

List of violin concertos edit

The following concertos are presently found near the center of the mainstream Western repertoire.

List of other works for violin and orchestra edit

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ In Berg's concerto, the first two and last two movements are conjoined, with the only break coming between the second and third movements.