Felix Mendelssohn · Advanced · violin
How to play Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor is in E minor and sits at the advanced level. A conservatory audition standard and benchmark Romantic concerto. The fastest way through it is to name the passage that keeps breaking, on the same five dimensions a panel listens for, and fix that one first.
The hard passages
- Exposed soaring opening that demands perfect intonation
- Ricochet bowing in the cadenza
- Spiccato bariolage with string crossings
- Rhythmic acceleration through the cadenza
- Endurance
What panels listen for
Clean intonation on the unforgiving exposed opening; control of the cadenza ricochet and the spiccato bariolage.
Frequently asked
How hard is Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor?
Advanced level. Grouped with Brahms and Beethoven among the hardest standard concertos.
What tempo is Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor?
Mvt I: Allegro molto appassionato; Mvt II: Andante (C major); Mvt III: Allegretto non troppo to Allegro molto vivace
What are the hardest parts of Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor?
The passages that trip players up: exposed soaring opening that demands perfect intonation, ricochet bowing in the cadenza, spiccato bariolage with string crossings, rhythmic acceleration through the cadenza, endurance.
How can I tell if I am ready to perform Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor?
Talk it through with the teacher, free, no signup. Play your take of Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, get the one specific fix that is holding you back, then run it again. The teacher listens every day, not just at lesson time.
More violin pieces
Stuck on a passage in Mendelssohn Violin?
Name the passage and what it does wrong. Real fix in 30 seconds. Free to try, no card.
Name the passage that breaks