The Mendelssohn Concerto in E Minor
The Mendelssohn Concerto in E Minor:
A Staple of the Violin Repertoire
“I would like to compose a violin concerto for next winter. One in E minor keeps running through my head, and the opening gives me no peace,” German composer Felix Mendelssohn wrote to his friend, violinist Ferdinand David, in 1838. Mendelssohn would seek to collaborate on his last orchestral work with David, revising it painstakingly until its premiere in Leipzig in 1845. The first movement of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64, is considered a staple of the violin repertoire and an example piece of the romantic period. While Mendelssohn is widely recognized as a romantic who remained loyal mainly to traditional, classical forms, the technical demands of the soloist, the novel placement and qualities of the cadenza, and the features of the overall form illustrate both the novelty of the concerto and why it served as an example for later composers.
The concerto is credited with being challenging but manageable in its technical demands of the soloist. While it contains many intricate techniques, it “plays well under the fingers,” undoubtedly because of Ferdinand David’s input. Because of this, it is widely used by violin instructors to introduce concerti to students. Its place as an introductory learning tool is held by Mendelssohn’s frequent use of octaves (rehearsal B and K) to lead the player to arrival points such as the high “B” after rehearsal B, seen in Example 1.
Example 1: Varied use of octaves surrounding rehearsal B.
Example 1: Varied use of octaves surrounding rehearsal B.
The Classical style to which Mendelssohn remained loyal is characterized in technique by his use of ricochet bowing, first developed by Niccolo Paganini, in the chord section immediately following the cadenza after rehearsal letter O. While many of his strategies were common in the concerto’s time (including accent and tenuto articulations and virtuosic melodic lines), Mendelssohn departs
A Staple of the Violin Repertoire
“I would like to compose a violin concerto for next winter. One in E minor keeps running through my head, and the opening gives me no peace,” German composer Felix Mendelssohn wrote to his friend, violinist Ferdinand David, in 1838. Mendelssohn would seek to collaborate on his last orchestral work with David, revising it painstakingly until its premiere in Leipzig in 1845. The first movement of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64, is considered a staple of the violin repertoire and an example piece of the romantic period. While Mendelssohn is widely recognized as a romantic who remained loyal mainly to traditional, classical forms, the technical demands of the soloist, the novel placement and qualities of the cadenza, and the features of the overall form illustrate both the novelty of the concerto and why it served as an example for later composers.
The concerto is credited with being challenging but manageable in its technical demands of the soloist. While it contains many intricate techniques, it “plays well under the fingers,” undoubtedly because of Ferdinand David’s input. Because of this, it is widely used by violin instructors to introduce concerti to students. Its place as an introductory learning tool is held by Mendelssohn’s frequent use of octaves (rehearsal B and K) to lead the player to arrival points such as the high “B” after rehearsal B, seen in Example 1.
Example 1: Varied use of octaves surrounding rehearsal B.
Example 1: Varied use of octaves surrounding rehearsal B.
The Classical style to which Mendelssohn remained loyal is characterized in technique by his use of ricochet bowing, first developed by Niccolo Paganini, in the chord section immediately following the cadenza after rehearsal letter O. While many of his strategies were common in the concerto’s time (including accent and tenuto articulations and virtuosic melodic lines), Mendelssohn departs
Bibliography: Press, 1998. Kamien, Roger. Music: An Appreciation. New York City: McGraw-Hill, 2010. http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com. [ 4 ]. Kamien, Roger. Music: An Appreciation. New York City: McGraw-Hill, 2010. http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com. [ 5 ]. Caplin, William. Classical Form: A Theory of Formal Functions for the Instrumental Music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. New York City: Oxford University Press, 1998.