Violin Concerto No. 1 in D minor, MWV O 3 (2nd version) Cover Image

Violin Concerto No. 1 in D minor, MWV O 3 (2nd version): String Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Score and Parts

$75.00 USD
$75.00 USD
Skip to product information
Violin Concerto No. 1 in D minor, MWV O 3 (2nd version) Cover Image
Violin Concerto No. 1 in D minor, MWV O 3 (2nd version): String Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Score and Parts

Violin Concerto No. 1 in D minor, MWV O 3 (2nd version): String Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Score and Parts

By Felix Mendelssohn, ed. Renate Unger

Item: 36-A773902
$75.00
Shipped

One moment…

Related Items

Violin Concerto No. 1 in D minor, MWV O 3 (2nd version): String Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Full Score

$25.00
View

Violin Concerto No. 1 in D minor, MWV O 3 (2nd version): String Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Solo Violin

$10.00
View
Description
The prodigy Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847) composed the CONCERTO FOR VIOLIN No. 1 in D minor, MWV O 3, in 1822 when he was only 13. Written for Eduard Rietz, a dear friend and teacher, the concerto was forgotten, and after Mendelssohn died, his widow gifted the score to Mendelssohn's friend Ferdinand David. The work remained unknown until violin virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin, in 1951, was shown the manuscript by a London rate books dealer. Menuhin, realizing the opportunity he had, quickly bought the rights for the work from the Mendelssohn family, edited the concerto, then offered the first performance in well over 100 years at Carnegie Hall on February 4, 1952. While not as popular as Mendelssohn's VIOLIN CONCERTO in E minor, the work does find frequent performances. Reprint of the Renate Unger edition. String count of 8-8-5-5-5 in set.

Violin Concerto No. 1 in D minor, MWV O 3 (2nd version): String Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Score and Parts isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Request This Title

Tell us you want it.

Start Your Free Trial

Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Pages

No sample pages found.
Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series: Kalmus Orchestra Library
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
UPC: 746241266149
SKU: 36-A773902
Instrumentation: String Orchestra (8-8-5-5-5 in set): Solo Violin

More about this title

About the Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) was a compositional prodigy whose gifts emerged early and never dimmed. Born into a wealthy Berlin family, he received rigorous training and composed prolifically across all genres, establishing himself as one of the Romantic era's most refined orchestral voices.

Mendelssohn's influence on music education endures partly through his accessibility: his works reward careful attention without demanding experimental harmonic language or extreme technical demands. For string players and orchestras, his writing sits at an ideal intersection of beauty and playability, making his scores valuable repertoire at multiple levels.

Why we love this

This is the work that proves Mendelssohn's genius was never a fluke. Written at 13 but lost to history for 130 years, the D minor concerto deserves space in your rotation precisely because it asks different things of your soloist and ensemble than the ubiquitous E minor. The writing is lean and purposeful, and there's genuine drama in the key and harmonic language.

What to expect

Youthful but not naive. The opening surges with directness, the harmonic language dips into minor-key shadows, and there's an elegance throughout that never feels forced. You're hearing the voice of a teenager with complete command of his craft.

Who it's for

String orchestras with a capable concertmaster or featured violinist who can handle Romantic-era technical demands. This works for advanced high school and university ensembles looking to expand beyond the E minor concerto.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the solo line against an intimate ensemble; this scoring (8-8-5-5-5) rewards clarity over weight. A forward-placed violin and careful dynamic control in the strings creates the right blend.
  • The transitions between solo passagework and tutti moments need confidence. Practice the ensemble's rhythmic foundation separately so the soloist can move freely within it.
  • Take time with the harmonic shifts in the slow movement. Mendelssohn's voice leading here is sophisticated; intonation that captures the movement toward and away from the tonal center will pay immediate dividends.

How to use it

Pair this with other works from Mendelssohn's early period to frame a concert around his precocity, or use it as a vehicle for a soloist who has outgrown the standard repertoire. The Kalmus format makes parts preparation straightforward for school programs.

Skills your students will build

  • Playing with transparency in a reduced string texture (8-8-5-5-5)
  • Following and supporting a virtuosic solo line with rhythmic precision
  • Shaping harmonic movement in Romantic-era voice leading
  • Intonation in shifting tonal centers and chromatic passages
  • Balancing ensemble cohesion when the soloist carries the dramatic weight

You May Also Like