Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sy ...

's Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64, is his last

concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The typi ...

. Well received at its premiere, it has remained among the most prominent and highly-regarded violin concertos. It holds a central place in the violin repertoire and has developed a reputation as an essential concerto for all aspiring concert violinists to master, and usually one of the first Romantic era concertos they learn.Mendelssohn, F. ''Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64'', Dover Miniature Scores (1999) A typical performance lasts just under half an hour. Mendelssohn originally proposed the idea of the violin concerto to

Ferdinand David Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...

, a close friend and then concertmaster of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Although conceived in 1838, the work took another six years to complete and was not

premiere A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its first ...

d until 1845. During this time, Mendelssohn maintained a regular correspondence with David, who gave him many suggestions. The work itself was one of the foremost violin concertos of the Romantic era and was influential on many other composers. Although the concerto consists of three movements in a standard fast–slow–fast structure and each movement follows a traditional form, it was innovative and included many novel features for its time. Distinctive aspects include the almost immediate entrance of the violin at the beginning of the work (rather than following an orchestral preview of the first movement's major themes, as was typical in Classical-era concertos) and the through-composed form of the concerto as a whole, in which the three movements are melodically and harmonically connected and played

attacca A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special mus ...

(each movement immediately following the previous one without any pauses). Many violinists have recorded the concerto and it is performed in concerts and classical music competitions. It was recorded by Nathan Milstein and the New York Philharmonic as an album and released as the first

LP record The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and a ...

upon the format's introduction in 1948.

History

Following his appointment in 1835 as principal

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Music * Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra. * ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas * Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...

of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra,Mercer-Taylor, P. J. '' The Cambridge Companion to Mendelssohn'', CUP (2004) Mendelssohn named his childhood friend

as the orchestra's concertmaster."Ferdinand David", '' The Musical Times'', Vol. 47, No. 761 The work's origins derive from this professional collaboration. In a letter dated 30 July 1838, Mendelssohn wrote to David: "I should like to write a violin concerto for you next winter. One in E minor runs through my head, the beginning of which gives me no peace."Dr. Rietz, J. ''Letters of Felix Mendelssohn, 1833–1847'', Ayer (1970) The concerto took another six years to complete. There are many possible reasons for the delay, including self-doubt, his third symphony and an unhappy period in Berlin after a request from King

Frederick William IV of Prussia Frederick William IV (german: Friedrich Wilhelm IV.; 15 October 17952 January 1861), the eldest son and successor of Frederick William III of Prussia, reigned as King of Prussia from 7 June 1840 to his death on 2 January 1861. Also referred to ...

.Jacobson, J. H. ''The Classical Music Experience'', Sourcebooks, Inc. (2002) Nevertheless, Mendelssohn and David kept up a regular correspondence during this time, with Mendelssohn seeking technical and compositional advice. Indeed, this violin concerto was the first of many to have been composed with the input of a professional violinist, and would influence many future collaborations. Steinberg, Michael. ''The Concerto: A Listener's Guide'', OUP (1998) The

autograph score An autograph or holograph is a manuscript or document written in its author's or composer's hand. The meaning of autograph as a document penned entirely by the author of its content, as opposed to a typeset document or one written by a copyist ...

is dated 16 September 1844, but Mendelssohn was still seeking advice from David until its premiere. The concerto was first performed in Leipzig on 13 March 1845 with Ferdinand David as soloist. Mendelssohn was unable to conduct due to illness and the premiere was conducted by the Danish composer Niels Gade. Mendelssohn first conducted the concerto on 23 October 1845 again with Ferdinand David as soloist. An autograph manuscript of the concerto re-emerged in 1989 in the

Biblioteka Jagiellonska Jagiellonian Library ( pl, Biblioteka Jagiellońska, popular nickname ''Jagiellonka'') is the library of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków and with almost 6.7 million volumes, one of the largest libraries in Poland, serving as a public libra ...

in Kraków, leading to some scholarly scepticism of the veracity of Breitkopf & Härtel's 1862 edition of the published score. Some notable differences include the tempo character of the first movement being written as "''Allegro con fuoco''" rather than the commonplace "''Allegro molto appassionato''" as well as significant alterations of the solo violin's passage-work.

Instrumentation

The work is scored for solo violin and a standard orchestra of its period, consisting of two

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

s, two oboes, two

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

s, two

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

s, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and

strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

Movements

The concerto consists of three movements with the following tempo markings: #

Allegro Allegro may refer to: Common meanings * Allegro (music), a tempo marking indicate to play fast, quickly and bright * Allegro (ballet), brisk and lively movement Artistic works * L'Allegro (1645), a poem by John Milton * ''Allegro'' (Satie), an ...

molto appassionato ( E minor) # Andante (

C major C major (or the key of C) is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and ...

) # Allegretto non troppo – Allegro molto vivace (

E major E major (or the key of E) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps. Its relative minor is C-sharp minor and its parallel minor is E minor. Its enharmonic equivalent, ...

)

Allegro molto appassionato

''12–14 minutes'' \relative c Instead of an orchestral tutti, the concerto opens with the almost immediate entry of the solo violin, playing the very tune in E minor that gave Mendelssohn no peace. Following a bravura of rapidly ascending notes, the opening theme is then restated by the orchestra. There is then a frenetic

chromatic Diatonic and chromatic are terms in music theory that are most often used to characterize scales, and are also applied to musical instruments, intervals, chords, notes, musical styles, and kinds of harmony. They are very often used as a pair, ...

transition passage as the music subsides and modulates into a tranquil second subject theme in G major.Stowell R. ''The Cambridge Companion to the Violin'', CUP (1992) The melody is initially played by the woodwinds with the soloist providing a pedal note on an open G string.Kerman, J. ''Concerto Conversations'', HUP (1999) The tune is played by the solo violin itself before a short codetta ends the exposition section of the opening movement. The opening two themes are then combined in the development section, where the music builds up to the innovative

cadenza In music, a cadenza (from it, cadenza, link=no , meaning cadence; plural, ''cadenze'' ) is, generically, an improvisation, improvised or written-out ornament (music), ornamental passage (music), passage played or sung by a solo (music), sol ...

, which Mendelssohn wrote out in full rather than allowing the soloist to improvise. The cadenza builds up speed through rhythmic shifts from quavers to quaver-triplets and finally to semiquavers, which require ricochet bowing from the soloist.Mendelssohn, F. ''Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64'', Bärenreiter (2005) This serves as a link to the recapitulation, where the opening melody is played by the orchestra, accompanied by the continuing ricochet arpeggios by the soloist. During the recapitulation, the opening themes are repeated with the second theme being played in the E major before returning to E minor for the closing of the movement. The music gathers speed into the coda, which is marked "Presto", before a variant of the original chromatic transition passage ends the first movement.

Andante

''7–9 minutes'' \relative c'' The bassoon sustains its B from the final chord of the first movement before moving up a semitone to

middle C C or Do is the first note and semitone of the C major scale, the third note of the A minor scale (the relative minor of C major), and the fourth note (G, A, B, C) of the Guidonian hand, commonly pitched around 261.63 Hz. The actual frequen ...

. This serves as a key change from the E minor opening movement into the lyrical

slow movement. The movement is in ternary form and is reminiscent of Mendelssohn's own '' Songs Without Words''. The theme to the darker, middle section in

A minor A minor is a minor scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has no flats and no sharps. Its relative major is C major and its parallel major is A major. The A natural minor scale is: : Changes ...

is first introduced by the orchestra before the violin then takes up both the melody and the accompaniment simultaneously. The

tremulous ''Tremulous'' is a free and open source asymmetric team-based first-person shooter with real-time strategy elements. Being a cross-platform development project the game is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X. The game features two opposi ...

accompaniment requires nimble dexterity from the soloist before the music returns to the main lyrical C major theme, this time leading towards a serene conclusion.

Allegretto non troppo – Allegro molto vivace

''6–7 minutes'' \relative c'' Following the second movement, there is a brief fourteen-bar transitional passage in E minor for solo violin and strings only. This leads into the lively and effervescent finale, the whole of which is in E major and whose opening is marked by a trumpet

fanfare A fanfare (or fanfarade or flourish) is a short musical flourish which is typically played by trumpets, French horns or other brass instruments, often accompanied by percussion. It is a "brief improvised introduction to an instrumental perfo ...

. This movement is in

sonata rondo form Sonata rondo form is a musical form often used during the Classical music era. As the name implies, it is a blend of sonata and rondo forms. Structure Sonata and rondo forms Rondo form involves the repeated use of a theme (sometimes called ...

with an opening theme requiring fast passage work from the soloist. The opening exposition leads into a brief second

B major B major (or the key of B) is a major scale based on B. The pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A are all part of the B major scale. Its key signature has five sharps. Its relative minor is G-sharp minor, its parallel minor is B minor, and its ...

theme which is played by the soloist and builds to a series of rapidly ascending and descending arpeggios, reminiscent of the cadenza from the first movement. The orchestra then plays a variation of the opening melody, after which the music moves into a short development section in G major. The recapitulation is essentially similar to the exposition, apart from the addition of a counter-melody in the strings. The second theme is repeated, this time in the home key of E Major. There is almost a small cadenza near the end of the movement when the woodwinds play the main tune against prolonged trills from the solo violin. The concerto then concludes with a frenetic coda.

Analysis

The concerto is innovative in many respects. In the first movement alone, Mendelssohn departs from the typical form of a Classical concerto in many ways, the most immediate being the entry of the soloist almost from the outset, which also occurs in his First Piano Concerto. Although the first movement is mostly in the conventional sonata form, Mendelssohn has the first theme played by the solo violin and then by the orchestra. Classical concertos typically opened with an orchestral introduction followed by a version of essentially the same material that incorporates the soloist. The cadenza is also novel in that it is written out as part of the concerto Keefe, Simon P. ''The Cambridge Companion to the Concerto'', CUP (2005) and located before the recapitulation. In a typical Classical concerto, the cadenza is improvised by the performing soloist and occurs at the end of a movement, after the recapitulation and just before the final coda. Mendelssohn's written cadenza was not included in the first published version of the concerto, but instead a "streamlined" version by Ferdinand David without the contrapuntal complexity of the original. This is the most played version today, although some artists, e.g.

Arabella Steinbacher Arabella Miho Steinbacher (born 14 November 1981) is a German classical violinist. Biography Steinbacher was born in Munich to a Japanese mother and a German father. When she was three, her mother read that a German violin teacher had recentl ...

, play Mendelssohn's original. Joshua Bell performs the concerto with his own cadenza. The violin concerto stands out from previous concertos with its connected movements. There is no break between the first and second movements, with a bassoon note held between the two. The bridging passage between the last two movements begins almost immediately after the slow movement. The melody is similar to that of the opening, which hints at the cyclic form of the piece.Wilson, C. ''Notes on Mendelssohn: 20 Crucial Works'', Eerdmans Books (2005) The linking was designed to eliminate applause between movements. This would have come as a surprise to Mendelssohn's audience, who, unlike today's, were used to applauding between movements. The concerto also calls on the soloist to function as an accompanist to the orchestra for extended periods, such as the ricochet arpeggios at the start of the recapitulation. This too was novel for a violin concerto of its time.

Legacy

Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto influenced the concertos of many other composers, who adopted aspects of it in their own concertos. For example, the unusual placement of the

before the recapitulation is reflected in the violin concerto of

Tchaikovsky (where the cadenza is similarly placed) and the violin concerto of Violin Concerto (Sibelius)">Sibelius (where the cadenza serves to extend the development section). Moreover, following this concerto it was very rare for a composer to leave a cadenza unwritten for the soloist to improvise as in the days of Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

and Beethoven. The linking of the three movements also influenced other concertos, such as Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 2 (Liszt)">Second Piano Concerto. The concerto itself was an instant success, warmly received at its premiere and well received by contemporary critics.Mendelssohn, F. ''Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64'', Eulenberg Miniature Scores By the end of the nineteenth century, the piece was already considered one of the greatest violin concertos in the repertoire. It would become one of Mendelssohn's most popular pieces, and was still regularly performed even when interest in his music declined in the early twentieth century. In 1906, the year before his death, the celebrated violinist Joseph Joachim told the guests at his 75th birthday party: The work has developed a reputation as an essential one for aspiring violin virtuosi to conquer. This has led to its becoming virtually ubiquitous in the discography of concert violinists, even including those who were only active at the very dawn of recorded sound and of whom very little recorded music exists, such as Eugène Ysaÿe.Monsaingeon, B. (Director) and NVC Arts ''Great Performances – The Art of the Violin'', Warner Music Vision VD(2000) Even so, it remains technically challenging and is generally considered to be as difficult as many other famous counterparts.

Recordings

Among a vast discography, the following recordings have received notable awards and outstanding reviews: *1940: Yehudi Menuhin, Concerts Colonne, Georges Enesco (conductor), Gramophone, Co. Ltd. *1946: Nathan Milstein, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Bruno Walter (conductor), V Disc *1949: Campoli,

London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symphony ...

, Eduard van Beinum (conductor), Decca *1950:

Mischa Elman Mischa (Mikhail Saulovich) Elman (russian: Михаил Саулович Эльман; January 20, 1891April 5, 1967) was a Russian-born American violinist famed for his passionate style, beautiful tone, and impeccable artistry and musicality. E ...

, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Désiré Defauw (conductor), RCA Victor *1950: Fritz Kreisler, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Landon Ronald (conductor), RCA Victor Red Seal *1952: Yehudi Menuhin, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Wilhelm Furtwängler (conductor), RCA Victor *1953:

Gioconda de Vito Gioconda de Vito (26 July 1907 – 14 October 1994) was an Italian-British classical violinist. (The dates 22 June 1907 and 24 October 1994 also appear in some sources.Campbell, Margaret (11 November 1994Obituary: Gioconda de Vito ''The Independ ...

, London Symphony Orchestra,

Sir Malcolm Sargent Sir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent (29 April 1895 – 3 October 1967) was an English conductor, organist and composer widely regarded as Britain's leading conductor of choral works. The musical ensembles with which he was associated include ...

(conductor), Long Play *1953: Joseph Szigeti, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham (conductor), Columbia Masterworks *1955:

Johanna Martzy Johanna Martzy (26 October 192413 August 1979) was a Hungarian violinist. She was born in Timișoara, Romania in 1924 and debuted at 13. She toured in the 1940s and 1950s. After that decade her renown in North America, at least, declined and her ...

Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Richard Strauss, W ...

, Paul Kletzki (conductor), Angel Records *1955: Louis Kaufman, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Otto Ackermann (conductor), Musical Masterpiece Society *1955:

Siegfried Borries Siegfried Paul Otto Borries (10 March 1912 – 12 August 1980) was a German violinist and violin educator. Life After his secondary school leaving certificate and corresponding preliminary studies, Borries studied at the in the master class o ...

, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Sergiu Celibidache (conductor), RCA Victor *1956: David Oistrakh,

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscription ...

, Eugene Ormandy (conductor), Columbia Masterworks *1956: Igor Oistrakh, Gewandhaus Chamber Orchestra, Leipzig,

Frank Konwitschny Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Cu ...

(conductor), Decca *1958: Ruggerio Ricci, London Symphony Orchestra, Pierino Gamba (conductor), London *1958:

Fredell Lack Fredell Lack (February 19, 1922 – August 20, 2017) was an American violinist. Noted as a concert soloist, recording artist, chamber musician, and teacher, she was the C. W. Moores Distinguished Professor of Violin at the Moores School of ...

, The Stadium Symphony Orchestra of New York, Alexander Smallens (conductor), World Record Club *1958:

Michael Stern Michael Stern may refer to: * Michael Stern (conductor) (born 1959), American musician * Michael Stern (educator) (1922–2002), founder of the Waterford Kamhlaba United World College * Michael Stern (journalist) (1910–2009), American journalist ...

, Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult (conductor), Angel Records *1958:

Christian Ferras Christian Ferras (17 June 1933 – 14 September 1982) was a French violinist. Early years Ferras was born at Le Touquet in 1933. He began studying the violin with his father. He entered the Conservatoire de Nice as a student of Charles Bistesi i ...

, Philharmonia Orchestra,

Constantin Silvestri Constantin-Nicolae Silvestri (; 31 May 1913, Bucharest – 23 February 1969, London) was a Romanian conductor and composer. Early life Silvestri, born of Austro-Italian-Romanian stock, was brought up mostly by his mother, his father dying fro ...

(conductor), Angel Records *1959: Jascha Heifetz,

Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the " Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1881, ...

, Charles Munch (conductor), RCA *1959:

Issac Stern Isaac Stern (July 21, 1920 – September 22, 2001) was an American violinist. Born in Poland, Stern came to the US when he was 14 months old. Stern performed both nationally and internationally, notably touring the Soviet Union and China, an ...

, Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy (conductor), CBS, Inc. *1960: Julian Olevsky,

Vienna State Opera Orchestra The Vienna State Opera (, ) is an opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by August S ...

, Julius Rudel (conductor), EMI Records *1964:

Josef Suk Josef Suk may refer to: * Josef Suk (composer) (1874–1935), Czech composer and violinist * Josef Suk (violinist) (1929–2011), his grandson, Czech violinist and conductor {{Hndis, Suk, Josef ...

Czech Philharmonic The Česká filharmonie (Czech Philharmonic) is a symphony orchestra based in Prague. The orchestra's principal concert venue is the Rudolfinum. History The name "Czech Philharmonic Orchestra" appeared for the first time in 1894, as the title ...

, Karel Ančerl (conductor), Supraphon – "Highly Recommended" by the ''

Gramophone A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

Classical Music Guide'', 2010 *1965: Henryk Szeryng, London Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati (conductor), Mercury Records *1966:

Erick Friedman Erick Friedman (16 August 1939 – 30 March 2004) was an American violinist. He performed around the world as guest soloist with orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Chicago Symphony Orchest ...

, London Symphony Orchestra,

Seiji Ozawa Seiji (written: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , or in hiragana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese ski jumper *, Japanese racing driver *, Japanese politician *, Japanese film directo ...

(conductor), RCA Victor Red Seal *1967: Isaac Stern, Israel Philharmonic,

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

(conductor) - Recorded in Israel on Mt. Scopus *1969: Pinchas Zukerman, New York Philharmonic,

(conductor), Columbia Masterworks *1972:

Itzhak Perlman Itzhak Perlman ( he, יצחק פרלמן; born August 31, 1945) is an Israeli-American violinist widely considered one of the greatest violinists in the world. Perlman has performed worldwide and throughout the United States, in venues that hav ...

, London Symphony Orchestra,

André Previn André George Previn (; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) was a German-American pianist, composer, and conductor. His career had three major genres: Hollywood films, jazz, and classical music. In each he achieved ...

(conductor), EMI *1975: Ruggerio Ricci,

Netherlands Radio Philharmonic The Radio Filharmonisch Orkest (''Radio Philharmonic Orchestra''; Dutch abbreviation RFO) is a Dutch radio orchestra, based in Hilversum. The RFO performs under the aegis of the ''Muziekcentrum van de Omroep'' (Broadcasting Music Centre; NMBC), an ...

, Jean Fourmet (conductor), London Records *1973: Nathan Milstein, Wiener Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado (conductor), Deutsche Grammophon *1976: Salvatore Accardo, London Philharmonic Orchestra,

Charles Dutoit Charles Édouard Dutoit (born 7 October 1936) is a Swiss conductor. He is currently the principal guest conductor for the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia and co-director of thMISA Festival in Shanghai In 2017, he became the 103rd recipient of th ...

(conductor), Philips *1976: Eugene Fodor, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Peter Maag (conductor), RCA *1981: Kyung-Wha Chung, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Charles Dutoit (conductor), Decca – "4 star" by the ''Penguin Guide'' *1981: Anne-Sophie Mutter,

Berlin Philharmoniker The Berlin Philharmonic (german: Berliner Philharmoniker, links=no, italic=no) is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world. History The Berlin Philharmonic was fo ...

, Herbert von Karajan (conductor), Deutsche Grammophon *1983: Uto Ughi, London Symphony Orchestra, Georges Pétre (conductor), RCA *1983: Isaac Stern, Boston Symphony Orchestra,

(conductor), CBS Records Masterworks. *1984: Joseph Silverstein, Utah Symphony Orchestra *1988: Joshua Bell,

Academy of St. Martin in the Fields The Academy of St Martin in the Fields (ASMF) is an English chamber orchestra, based in London. John Churchill, then Master of Music at the London church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, and Neville Marriner founded the orchestra as "The Academy of ...

Neville Mariner Sir Neville Marriner, (15 April 1924 – 2 October 2016) was an English violinist and "one of the world's greatest conductors". Gramophone lists Marriner as one of the 50 greatest conductors and another compilation ranks Marriner #14 of th ...

(conductor), London Records *1988: Takako Nishizaki, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra,

Kenneth Jean Kenneth is an English given name and surname. The name is an Anglicised form of two entirely different Gaelic personal names: ''Cainnech'' and '' Cináed''. The modern Gaelic form of ''Cainnech'' is ''Coinneach''; the name was derived from a byna ...

(conductor) Naxos *1988: Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, New York Chamber Symphony, Gerard Schwarz (conductor), EMI Classics *1990:

, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink (conductor), EMI Classics *1991: Viktoria Mullova, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner (conductor), Philips *1993: Anne Akiko Meyers,

, Andrew Litton, (conductor), RCA Red Seal-"Rapt is her playing" ''Gramophone'' *1993:

, Chicago Symphony Orchestra,

Daniel Barenboim Daniel Barenboim (; in he, דניאל בארנבוים, born 15 November 1942) is an Argentine-born classical pianist and conductor based in Berlin. He has been since 1992 General Music Director of the Berlin State Opera and "Staatskapellmeist ...

(conductor), Erato *1993: Maxim Vengerov, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Kurt Masur (conductor), Teldec *1994: Kim Chee-yun, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Jesús López-Cobos (conductor), Denon *1998: Isabelle van Keulen, Nieuw Sinfonietta,

Lev Markiz Lev may refer to: Common uses *Bulgarian lev, the currency of Bulgaria *an abbreviation for Leviticus, the third book of the Hebrew Bible and the Torah People and fictional characters *Lev (given name) *Lev (surname) Places * Lev, Azerbaijan, ...

(conductor), BIS, Original 1844 version, World Première Recording. *1998:

Robert McDuffie Robert McDuffie is an American violinist. He has played as a soloist with many of the major orchestras around the world including those of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Minnesota, Hou ...

, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Joseph Swensen (conductor), Telarc – "Rosette" by the ''Penguin Guide'' *2002: Joshua Bell, Camerata Salzburg, Sir Roger Norrington (conductor), Sony Classical *2003: Midori,

, Mariss Jansons (conductor), Sony BMG Music Entertainment *2003: Viktoria Mullova, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, John Eliot Gardiner (conductor), Philips *2005:

Sarah Chang Sarah Chang ( ko, 장영주; born Young Joo Chang; December 10, 1980) is a Korean American classical violinist. Recognized as a child prodigy, she first played as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1989. Sh ...

, Berlin Philharmoniker, Mariss Jansons (conductor), Warner Classics *2005: Tasmin Little, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Stefan Solyom (conductor), BBC Music Magazine *2005: Nikolaj Znaider, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta (conductor), RCA Red Seal *2007: Janine Jansen, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig,

Riccardo Chailly Riccardo Chailly (, ; born 20 February 1953) is an Italian conductor. He is currently music director of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, since 2016, and music director of La Scala, since 2017. Prior to this, he held chief conducting positions ...

(conductor), Decca Classics *2007: Daniel Hope,

Chamber Orchestra of Europe The Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE), established in 1981, is an orchestra based in London. The orchestra comprises about 60 members from across Europe. The players pursue parallel careers as international soloists, members of chamber groups and ...

, Thomas Hengelbrock (conductor), Deutsche Grammophon – "10/10" by Classicstoday.com; "Highly recommended recording" by ''Gramophone'' magazine, April 2014 *2007: Nicola Benedetti, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, James MacMillan (conductor), Deutsche Grammophon *2007:

Leila Josefowicz Leila Bronia Josefowicz ( ; born October 20, 1977) is an American-Canadian classical violinist. Biography Josefowicz was born in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. When she was a young child her family moved to Los Angeles, California, where she sta ...

, Orchestre du Symphonique Montréal,

(conductor), Philips *2009: Akiko Suwanai, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy, (conductor), Decca *2010: Hilary Hahn,

Oslo Philharmonic The Oslo Philharmonic (Oslo-Filharmonien) is a Norwegian symphony orchestra based in Oslo, Norway. The orchestra traces its roots to the Philharmonic Society founded in 1847 and the Christiania Musical Association co-founded by Edvard Grieg in ...

, Hugh Wolff (conductor), Sony Recording. *2010: James Ehnes, Philharmonia Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy (conductor), Onyx – "Editor's Choice" by ''Gramophone'' magazine, February 2011; "Recommended Recording" by ClassicFM; No. 1 Mendelssohn Top Recording, ''Gramophone'', February 2016 *2011: Ray Chen, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Harding (conductor), Sony Classical – "Disc of the Month" by ''Gramophone'' magazine, June 2012 *2012:

Philippe Quint Philippe Quint (born March 26, 1974) is an American classical violinist. Biography Quint was born on March 26, 1974, in Leningrad. He studied at Moscow's Special Music School for the Gifted with Russian violinist Andrei Korsakov and made his orch ...

, Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería, Carlos Miguel Prieto (conductor), – "Editor's choice" by ''Gramophone'' magazine, February 2012. *2013:

Tianwa Yang Tianwa Yang () (born April 8, 1987) is a Chinese classical violinist. Biography and career Tianwa Yang began learning to play the violin at age four, and quickly began winning violin competitions. At age ten, she began studying with Professor ...

, Sinfonia Finlandia Jyväsklä,

Patrick Gallos Patrick may refer to: *Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name *Patrick (surname), list of people with this name People *Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint *Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick or ...

(conductor), Naxos *2015:

Augustin Hadelich Augustin Hadelich (born April 4, 1984) is an Italian-German-American Grammy-winning classical violinist. Biography Early life and education Augustin Hadelich was born in Cecina, Italy, to German parents. His two older brothers were already p ...

, Norwegian Radio Orchestra,

Miguel Marth-Bedova --> Miguel is a given name and surname, the Portuguese and Spanish form of the Hebrew name Michael. It may refer to: Places *Pedro Miguel, a parish in the municipality of Horta and the island of Faial in the Azores Islands *São Miguel (disambi ...

(conductor), Avie Records *2015:

, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande,

(conductor), PentaTone *2016:

Carolin Widmann Carolin Widmann (born 1976) is a German classical violinist. The sister of composer and clarinetist Jörg Widmann, she focuses mainly on contemporary music. She plays a violin made in 1782 by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini. Career Born in Munic ...

Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...

(conductor), ECM New Series *2017: Isabelle Faust, Freiburger Barockorchester, Pablo Heras-Casado (conductor), harmonia mundi

References

External links

*
BBC Discovering Music
(browse for .ram file containing discussion of this work)
ABC Classic FM Deep Listen
guide based on a recording by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra with Niki Vasilakis. {{Authority control

Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositi ...

Concertos by Felix Mendelssohn 1844 compositions Compositions in E minor