[HenryPenfold]

True. I do, however, hope that it was clear out of the context that my opinions on Tchaikovsky's vc are subjective at best.

Of course, I was just being a pedant!

 

[Pat Fairlea]

Slightly off-thread, but I was listening to Arnold's Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra earlier. I wouldn't rank it up there with Barber, Beethoven, Sibelius et al but it's an enjoyable and interesting piece.

 

[HenryPenfold]

Slightly off-thread, but I was listening to Arnold's Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra earlier. I wouldn't rank it up there with Barber, Beethoven, Sibelius et al but it's an enjoyable and interesting piece.

Agreed! In my opinion, everything Arnold did was at least enjoyable and interesting!

 

[elgar's ghost]

Slightly off-thread, but I was listening to Arnold's Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra earlier. I wouldn't rank it up there with Barber, Beethoven, Sibelius et al but it's an enjoyable and interesting piece.

Arnold composed nearly 20 concertos for various combinations - I don't think there is anything particularly earth-shattering about any of the ones I've heard but as you rightly say that doesn't mean that they can't be savoured on a different level. Although the concerto for two violins and strings is one of those in which Arnold is wearing a somewhat serious expression I think elsewhere he also used the concerto medium intentionally as a conduit for a whole gamut of emotions, hence the large number of them. All in all, an intriguing body of work and well worth investigating.

 

[David Phillips]

Bach, Violin and Oboe
Schumann
Brahms, Violin and Cello
Elgar
Bliss

 

[Kreisler jr]

I cannot think of a single violin concerto of a major composer that isn't great, except for maybe Tchaikovsky which is awful.

I am personally not too fond of the Tchaikovsky but I can understand why it is so famous and it is a well composed piece.

Two violin concertos by major composers that are not great are the early one by Strauss and the late one by Schumann. The latter had been neglected for almost a century, lingered on the fringes for another few decades and in the last 20 years people try to make up for this neglect but I think they are exaggerating. I am totally against the late Schumann "mad and bad" stance but the violin concerto is just not attractive to me.
(I'd also hesitate to call the first two Mozart violin concerti or any of Haydn's "great", compared to the best works of these composers.)

 

[Xisten267]

My top five today would be:

1. Brahms
2. Mendelssohn
3. Tchaikovsky
4. Khachaturian
5. Beethoven

 

[Doublestring]

1. Bruch
2. Sibelius
3. Mendelssohn
4. Tchaikovsky
5. Brahms
6. Berg
7. Beethoven
8. Vivaldi - L'Estro Armonico No. 6
9. Sarasate - Zigeunerweisen
10. Lalo - Symphonie espagnole
11. Paganini No. 2
12. Rode No. 11
13. Schoenberg
14. Gubaidulina - Offertorium
15. Jennifer Higdon
16. Glass
17. Schumann
18. Elgar
19. Mozart No. 3
20. Martinů No. 1

 

[Andante Largo]

Paganini - Violin Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 6, MS 21 (1815)
Paganini - Violin Concerto No. 2 in B minor, Op. 7 (1826)
Paganini - Violin Concerto No. 3 in E major, MS 50 (1826)
Paganini - Violin Concerto No. 4 in D minor, MS 60 (1829)
Lipiński - Violin Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 14 (?)
Lipiński - Violin Concerto No. 2 'Militaire' in D major, Op. 21 (1834 or 1826?)
Lipiński - Violin Concerto No. 4 in A major, Op. 32 (?)
Wieniawski - Violin Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 14 (1852)
Saint-Saëns - Violin Concerto No. 1 in A major, Op. 20 (1859)
Wieniawski - Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22 (1862)
Bruch - Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 (1867)
Bruch - Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 44 (1877)
Brahms - Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 (1878)
Młynarski - Violin Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 11 (1897)
Karłowicz - Violin Concerto in A major, Op. 8 (1902)
Röntgen - Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor (1902)
Respighi - Violin Concerto in A major, P.049 (1903)
Perosi - Violin Concerto No. 1 (1903)
Sibelius - Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 (1905)
Respighi - Concerto all'antica, P.075 (1908)
Młynarski - Violin Concerto No. 2 in D major, Op. 16 (1916)
Perosi - Violin Concerto No. 2 (1916)
Respighi - Concerto gregoriano, P.135 (1921)
Castelnuovo-Tedesco - Violin Concerto No. 1 'Italiano', Op. 31 (1924)
Castelnuovo-Tedesco - Violin Concerto No. 2 'I Profeti', Op. 66 (1931)
Röntgen - Violin Concerto No. 3 in F-sharp minor (1931)

 

[DaveM]

Audiences in the 1950s loved the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. In the 1954 movie, Rhapsody (with Liz Taylor), long segments of it were played. Michael Rabin, age 17, was the actual violinist.

 

[mossyembankment]

I really enjoy Schumann's despite certain flaws.

 

[SanAntone]

I think I've already posted in this thread, but ....

Bartok - both
Shostakovich - both
Stravinsky
Schoenberg

 

[szabomd]

Somebody who like Goldmark violin concerto?
It's one of my favourite violin concertos (Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich 1)

 

[Rogerx]

Somebody who like Goldmark violin concerto?
It's one of my favourite violin concertos (Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich 1)

I do , I have the tzhak Perlman as my favourite. Might give it a spin later.

 

[Haydn man]

Well currently I will suggest my top 5 are
Brahms
Tchaikovsky
Sibelius
Beethoven
Elgar

This might change again tomorrow/next week/next year

 

[haziz]

1. Sibelius
2. Bruch 1
3. Tchaikovsky
4. Mendelssohn
5. Bruch Scottish Fantasy
6. Bruch 2

I am probably forgetting a couple of favorites as well, but these represent the cream of the crop according to my current taste. For years the first Bruch concerto was my favorite but over the last few years the Sibelius concerto has crept into the top spot.

 

[Joachim Raff]

My all time favourite off the beaten track and the performance is my fav as well:

 

[Strange Magic]

I know nothing about the best concertos, only about the ones I like best:

In no order:
Both Prokofiev concertos
Hovhaness Concerto 2
Dvorak concerto
Beethoven concerto
Britten concerto
Tchaikovsky concerto
Sibelius concerto
First two Bruch concertos
Mendelssohn concerto
Brahms concerto

An even dozen. Then there's always Vivaldi Four Seasons.......

 

[Roger Knox]

Here are five Russian romantic violin concertos that "don't get much love." Just saying.

Rubinstein
Lyapunov
Arensky
Conus
Glière (one movement, posthumous, completed by Lyatoshinsky)

 

[Terrapin]

Top 10 in 3 tiers:
1. Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky
2. Bruch 1, Sibelius
3. Dvorak, Prokofiev 2, Saint-Saens 3