Henryk Wieniawski · Advanced · violin
How to play Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22
Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22 is in D minor and sits at the advanced level. Common advanced concerto-round audition and competition repertoire (the Romance is also excerpted on its own); a benchmark Romantic virtuoso 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
- Virtuosic first-movement passagework: chromatic scales, arpeggios and double stops over a stormy orchestral frame
- Sustained cantabile and seamless bow distribution in the lyrical B-flat major Romance
- Gypsy-style finale (a la Zingara) demanding spiccato, ricochet, left-hand agility and rhythmic fire
- Negotiating the attacca link from the first movement into the Romance with no break
What panels listen for
Singing tone in the Romance, clean double-stop intonation, and a finale that is rhythmically incisive and characterful rather than merely fast.
Frequently asked
How hard is Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22?
Advanced level. Standard advanced/late-conservatory Romantic concerto; appears on RCM/ABRSM senior diploma (ARCT/LRSM) and conservatory audition lists. Not part of the Suzuki sequence (well beyond Suzuki Book 10).
What tempo is Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22?
I. Allegro moderato (D minor); II. Romance: Andante non troppo (B-flat major); III. Allegro con fuoco - Allegro moderato (a la Zingara) (D minor/D major)
What are the hardest parts of Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22?
The passages that trip players up: Virtuosic first-movement passagework: chromatic scales, arpeggios and double stops over a stormy orchestral frame, Sustained cantabile and seamless bow distribution in the lyrical B-flat major Romance, Gypsy-style finale (a la Zingara) demanding spiccato, ricochet, left-hand agility and rhythmic fire, Negotiating the attacca link from the first movement into the Romance with no break.
How can I tell if I am ready to perform Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22?
Talk it through with the teacher, free, no signup. Play your take of Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22, 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 Violin Concerto?
Name the passage and what it does wrong. Real fix in 30 seconds. Free to try, no card.
Name the passage that breaks