7 Unusual Violin Showpieces That Are Easy to Listen To
I wouldn’t be much of a violinist if I didn’t have some good violin pieces to recommend after playing the instrument for nearly two decades. I’ve spent my fair share of time fawning over the most exquisite recordings and the world’s most amazing virtuoso violinists, and trust me, the best violin pieces are the ones you probably haven’t heard of.
You’ve undoubtedly heard Massenet’s Méditation from Thaïs, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, and the one of the world’s most annoying pieces of classical music — Boccherini’s Minuet. They’re all…perfectly lovely…but they’re overplayed and there are so many other wonderful violin pieces out there worth your attention.
So if you’re looking to really hear what the violin can do, or just want to explore the depths of the violin repertoire, please take a few moments to listen to these seven remarkable pieces. They’re not ones the average listener gets to hear, and I think you’ll really enjoy them!
I’ve included a YouTube video of each piece that you can listen along with. And as is the case with my Better Guide to Classical Music article, I’ve also created a companion playlist in Spotify so you can listen at your own convenience without having this article open (I did have to find different recordings for a few pieces, however).
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra №1 in F sharp minor, Op. 14: 1, Allegro moderato — Henryk Wieniawski
The first time I heard a piece by Wieniawski was in high school during orchestra practice. It blew my mind so hard I straight up left the rehearsal and took a 20-minute walk just so I could process what I’d heard. I became so enamored with this composer that I used another one of his pieces in my college audition despite the fact that it was above my skill level.
Wieniawski’s music has a unique sound (though it’s easy to tell he’s from the Romantic era), and the way he composes for the violin isn’t really seen in any other composer’s work. This concerto is no different. It’s technically difficult, but it also has such profound substance to it. He blows your mind with 10th double stops and ultra-fast runs, then breaks your heart with dramatic melodies and modulations. The way Wieniawski writes for the violin’s lower register then leaps up to the highest part of the fingerboard is gripping yet graceful and, again, done in a way that no other composer has ever managed to do.
The video I linked to for this piece features violinist Gil Shaham. This is the first recording I ever heard of this concerto, and it’s the one I’ll always return to. It’s an absolutely perfect match of composer to musician as Shaham has so much emotion in his playing. Even his vibrato is perfect. And Wieniawski’s playing demands both passion and technical skill, and in my opinion, the combination isn’t something that every violinist can pull off. It’s just…magical.
Also Check Out: the rest of this concerto, or Wieniawski’s second violin concerto. It’s an absolute spitfire.
Sonata for Violin solo in D minor, №3 “Ballade,” Op.27 — Eugène Ysaÿe
Ysaÿe is a wonderful composer, yet one that’s chronically underrated, as is this piece and this recording. Ballade plays host to dissonance, whole tone scales, and other hallmarks of 20th century classical pieces but it manages to do so in a timeless manner. The beauty of the piece is that it sounds like free-flowing modern art. It demands passion but is immensely technically demanding and nearly impossible to pull off for violinists who lack impeccable technique.
Ysaÿe dedicated this sonata to Romanian composer George Enescu (another outstanding composer that I’ll feature in a future article). The piece is reminiscent of Bach’s Chaconne at times, but really dwells in its own beautifully dissonant world. And that ending? Wow.
Also Check Out: Enescu’s violin sonatas.
Spanish Dances, Op. 22, №1: Romanza Andaluza — Pablo de Sarasate
Sarasate was a violin prodigy, born in Pamplona, Spain. He performed his first violin concert at the tender age of eight, and made his first public concert debut in Paris at 15. His pieces are equal parts charming and captivating, especially in the hands of a talented and highly expressive violinist like Jascha Heifetz. Sarasate Spanish heritage explains the natural energy and joie de vivre his pieces all have. The showpiece dances swiftly between the playful and the dramatic, and is what makes it (and honestly, all of his compositions) so engrossing to begin with
Though Romanza Andaluza isn’t the most technically demanding of his pieces, it is certainly one of the most exciting and beautiful. Its distinguishable Spanish flavor is gorgeous and whimsical, and sweeps you away to another world. Sarasate’s incredible talent and profound understanding of the violin are what make the pieces so terrific (and it’s why there is a Stradivarius violin named after him).
Also Check Out: Sarasate’s other violin showpieces, like Navarra, Zigeunerweisen, or Malagueña.
Violin Sonata in A Major — César Franck
This piece sounds so lush, like it was meant to be the soundtrack to some beautiful foreign film we’d never be able to find the subtitles for. It also sounds quintessentially French, with its beautifully soaring melody and stormy downpours. The sweeping dramatics of the sonata beg for your attention and step into every sorrow you’ve ever had, especially in the capable hands of violinist Capuçon and pianist Buniatishvili (a truly magnificent duo).
The first movement of the sonata is by far the best. However, if you have some spare time, definitely listen to the other three movements as well.
Also Check Out: Debussy’s violin sonata.
Chaconne in G minor — Tomaso Antonio Vitali
Despite being attributed to Vitali, the exact origin of the piece still remains an enigma. Vitali was a Baroque composer, yet this piece in particular sounds far ahead of its time; some suggest that it was really written by Jacob Lindner. While a chaconne — variations on a repeated short harmonic progression over a ground bass — was commonly used in Baroque pieces, the wild modulation, jumping as far as E-flat minor and B-flat minor within the piece, was not.
But regardless, the piece is effortlessly and hauntingly captivating and seamlessly floats between the realms of the Baroque and the Romantic. And alongside the mountainous technical challenges the piece presents, this is probably why it’s so beloved by violinists around the world. Ray Chen’s rendition of the piece really makes it sing, as well.
Also Check Out: Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto, Arvo Pärt’s Fratres, Fauré’s Elégie in C Minor for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 24.
24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Op. 1 — Niccolò Paganini
Okay, odds are you have heard the 24th Paganini caprice, but have you ever listened to the other 23? If not, you absolutely should — there’s nothing else really like them in the world. The Caprices are the pinnacle of technical achievement for violinists, and something every violinist rightfully respects and fears. Personally, I don’t consider all of them to be sonically beautiful, but their technical demands make them gorgeous in their own right. If nothing else, the Caprices are great because they show off what the violin (and a capable violinist) is capable of doing.
There is rumor that Paganini sold his soul to the devil since he was such a gifted violinist. Others speculate that he had Marfan syndrome, which often causes those affected by it to have extra long limbs and fingers as well as incredible flexibility, which, as a violinist with a short pinky, I can testify makes all the difference with the damn instrument (unless you’re Itzhak Perlman, but he’s the exception). Apparently he could play three octaves across four strings in a hand span, which is insane.
Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso — Camille Saint-Saëns
The piece is dedicated to virtuoso violinist Sarasate, who actually performed it at its premiere at the Champs-Élysée in 1867. It was originally supposed to be the first movement of Saint-Saëns’ first violin concerto but he decided to make it a solo piece due to its success. As he wasn’t a violinist himself, Saint-Saëns leaned on Sarasate’s expertise for writing the piece, and if you listen hard enough you can see exactly where Sarasate’s style shines through.
Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso is a piece that’s lively and fresh, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. It is full of fireworks and showy runs that were designed to show off Sarasate’s natural skill. I’ve always loved the way the piece swings like a pendulum between a sweet, playful melody and its more tempestuous parts. And, like all things Saint-Saëns, the piece makes you want to listen to the end and leaves you sad when it does finally end.
