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Below are my top 5 Violin Concertos in no particular order. I don’t wish this to be taken as a definitive list to end all lists. It is merely my thoughts as they stand today. Who knows, tomorrow they may be different!

Number 1 by L van Beethoven, for Violin and orchestra in D Major, opus 61, written 1806.”The Gentle Giant” was a piece of music made of simple materials but with immense character and structure. Classic of Beethoven he spins a small idea into masses of work. The 5 beat element is almost everywhere in movement 1 demonstrating this skill with ease and class.

Number 2 by J Brahms, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, Opus 77, written 1878.
“Depth with Romanticism”. He had to have been in love when he wrote this one!

Number 3 – Jean Sibelius, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Minor, Opus 47, written in 1903.
“Emotional, majestic, and exciting.” Two outer movements, rough and rugged in nature are completely contrasted by the beauty of the slow middle movement. Which only has one long melodic line, repeated twice.

Number 4 – Peter Tchaikovsky, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, Opus 35, written in 1878.
“A true blockbuster.” Probably the most popular violin concerto ever written, and with good reason. Written in a burst of happy inspiration, an audience favorite for over 125 years, and this shows no signs of going anywhere.

Number 5 – Edward Elgar, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in B Minor, Opus 61, written in 1910.
“Victorian pomp and emotional sensitivity all rolled into one.” Maybe I like this so much because of its ‘Englishism’! The depth of emotion, genuine sentimentality, regal dignity, and consummate virtuosity inherent in this music is all perfectly combined.

This is by no means an official top 5. Just simply my own pickings of popular and prestigious concertos. As I write this, who knows, my own choice may have changed as it often does with all of my musical tastes and preferences. Can you ever have an all time favorite piece of music? Does it not need to change to suit your mood or even situation?

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Here are details on three of the greatest piano players/composers known to grace the keys.

Ludwig Van Beethoven. Famous more for the fact he composed, Beethoven wrote and performed music while being deaf in his later 20s with the use of a sound rod to feel the vibrations. Born at the end of 1770, Beethoven followed in the family tradition of music by working at some point in the court of the Elector of Cologne. Beethoven moved to Vienna to study counterpoint and violin in 1792, a move that was funded by the Elector. His loss of hearing started in 1796, and is believed to be the result of lead poisoning, as lead was used a lot in life back then before it was known as being poisonous. His work has been divided into three sections -early,middle and late periods. The early period lasted until 1806, the middle period went from 1803 to 1814 and the later period went from 1815 until his death.

Wolfgang Mozart. Mozart was born in 1756 and composed over six hundred pieces and is regarded as one of the best composers of classical music. Mozart was considered a child prodigy, playing to royalty and composing from the age of five, and was employed as a court musician at seventeen in Salzburg. When he visited Vienna is decided to stay there and this is the city where he became famous, but not rich by any means. He died of what is believed to be Rheumatic fever in 1791, and rumour has it he was dictating music on his deathbed.

Bach. Bach was born in Germany in March 1685 and was a composer and organist, influential in the Baroque period and helping to bring the period to maturity. Bach was more famous as an organist rather than a composer during his lifetime, which his talent was only credited when he was rediscovered in the 19th century. He was orphaned at ten years old and was sent to live with his brother, who was an organist. It is from his brother that Bach received more instruction on playing, and became fluent on the Clavicord. Two Bach’s children from his first marriage were influential in the Rococo style that later followed Barquoe: Wilhem and Carl. He was hired by Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen as his court’s director of music, during this time Bach lost his wife in 1720 and remarried a year later. Bach was appointed as the Cantor of Thomasschule in 1723, which was a position he held up until his death after eye surgery in 1750.

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