Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61 Cover Image

Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61: Violin Solo with Piano

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Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61 Cover Image
Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61: Violin Solo with Piano

Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61: Violin Solo with Piano

By Edward Elgar

Item: 36-M177191
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Description
One of his longer works and the last to see immediate popularity, Edward Elgar's (1857-1934) Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61 has always found its way on concert programs, even when Elgar's works fell out of fashion for much of the 20th century. The work was commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society in 1909 after the violinist Fritz Kreisler praised Elgar as "the greatest living composer... I wish Elgar would write something for the violin." The concerto was a personal favorite of Elgar's, and he conducted the premiere at the Royal Philharmonic Society concert on November 10th, 1910, with Fritz Kreisler playing the solo, accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra. This piano reduction was created by Elgar and was actually performed before the premiere at a private party, with W. H. "Billy" Reed of the London Symphony Orchestra playing the solo (and Elgar at the piano), as Reed had helped in offering violin technical advice during the composition.

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Additional Details
Series: Master String Series - LudwigMasters
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
ISBN10: 8-88-852062-7
ISBN13: 979-8-88-852062-8
UPC: 660355025099
SKU: 36-M177191
Instrumentation: Violin and Piano

More about this title

About the Composer: Edward Elgar

Edward Elgar (1857–1934) stands as one of Britain's most significant composers, yet his reputation has shifted dramatically across the decades. Largely neglected during the mid-20th century, his music has experienced sustained revival among performers and audiences, particularly his orchestral and chamber works. Elgar's Violin Concerto represents a peak of his compositional voice: deeply personal, formally ambitious, and written with profound understanding of the instrument's expressive possibilities.

Why we love this

This concerto commands respect for its architectural scope and emotional depth. Unlike flashy virtuoso showpieces, Elgar builds the work through long melodic lines and harmonic sophistication, demanding that violinists engage intellectually with the material. The piano reduction preserves all essential voices while remaining genuinely idiomatic at the keyboard, making it accessible for serious students and teachers while honoring Elgar's own arrangement.

What to expect

Introspective and searching, with moments of soaring lyricism and darker, more introspective passages. The concerto unfolds like a personal journey, marked by Elgar's characteristic use of long-breathed melody and rich harmonic language that feels both English and deeply romantic. There is nobility in its restraint, and moments of profound intimacy alongside passages of grand gesture.

Who it's for

Advanced violin students and professional violinists preparing the work for recital or audition repertoire. Teachers seeking a cornerstone Romantic-era concerto that challenges students musically and technically without depending on pure virtuosity for its impact.

How to get the most out of it

  • Shape the opening theme with restrained intensity; Elgar's nobility emerges through control, not urgency. The pizzicato accompaniment must stay rhythmically precise without becoming mechanical.
  • Attend closely to Elgar's dynamic markings and hairpins. They are integral to his phrase architecture and reveal his intentions for line and direction.
  • Approach the cadenza sections as narrative climaxes rather than technical displays. Elgar wrote these moments to deepen the emotional arc, so consider the larger context when determining tempo and character.
  • Coordinate with the pianist on the balance between solo and accompaniment. The piano reduction is not subordinate; it carries thematic material and harmonic color essential to the concerto's texture.

How to use it

Program this as a recital centerpiece, where it commands an entire half of a concert program. The work's duration and emotional weight make it unsuitable for shorter showcases but ideal when paired with a chamber work or group of shorter pieces. For educational settings, it serves as a capstone work for advanced students, demonstrating the full range of Romantic violin writing and compositional craft.

Skills your students will build

  • Long-line phrasing across extended passages without loss of direction
  • Harmonic literacy and tonal navigation through chromatic language
  • Orchestral thinking through the concerto's complex dialogue between soloist and accompaniment
  • Interpretation of subtle dynamic and tempo nuance as structural tools
  • Technical facility across the full range of the fingerboard with musicality as the priority

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