Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64

The concerto begins unusually: instead of a long orchestral introduction, the soloist enters within the first two bars with the main melody, a restless, yearning theme in E minor. A second theme, calmer and lower, is introduced first by woodwinds while the soloist holds a low note underneath, an effect many listeners notice even without knowing the score. The cadenza, the soloist's unaccompanied showcase, arrives not at the end of the movement as usual but before the closing section, and Mendelssohn wrote it out himself rather than leaving it to the performer. A single sustained note on the bassoon then bridges directly into the second movement, so there is no pause for applause. This slow movement is a songlike melody, warm and consoling, with a more troubled middle section before the opening tune returns. A short, hesitant transitional passage follows, shifting from wistful to bright, before launching into the finale. The last movement is fast, light, and playful, built on a fanfare-like theme that trades between soloist and orchestra with dancing energy, closing the piece with a joyful energy rather than a grand crescendo.

Mendelssohn began sketching this concerto in 1838 for his friend Ferdinand David, concertmaster of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, but took six years to finish it, revising details with David's advice along the way. It premiered in Leipzig in 1845, with David as soloist, though Mendelssohn himself was too unwell to conduct and Niels Gade led the orchestra instead. The work broke from concerto convention in several ways, including having the soloist enter almost immediately and linking all three movements without pauses. It was warmly received and quickly became a staple of the violin repertoire, admired for the way it balances technical display with lyrical, singing melody. It remains one of the most frequently performed and recorded violin concertos ever written.