Klaus Döring's Classical Music/Klaus Döring's Klassische Musik

by   Emily E. Hogstad  Composers have been writing violin concertos since the beginning of the eighteenth century. Over the next three centuries, composers created thousands of violin concertos. Most have since fallen into obscurity…but a handful have demonstrated their enduring appeal to both musicians and audiences. © medium.com Although it’s a fool’s errand to make an objective list of the ten greatest violin concertos, we’re taking a shot at making a subjective one. So here’s our list of the ten greatest violin concertos, a brief overview of what makes each one so appealing, and a link to the most popular YouTube performance of each concerto. 10. J.S. Bach: Violin Concerto No. 1 (c. 1720)    Johann Sebastian Bach’s first violin concerto likely dates from around 1720, when Bach was employed by Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen. While working for Leopold, he wrote more instrumental secular music than religious music. One of the pieces dating from this time was this v...

 by Janet Horvath “What? D-Flat Major?” Most string players wail, “that’s a key signature with  FIVE FLATS! ” I don’t blame them. It’s so much more difficult to play in tune on string instruments without the resonance of the open strings. Pianists, though, will be elated. They get to play on all of the black keys. Numerous composers have used D-flat major to depict lush, dreamy sounds, and to explore the richness and depth of expression imaginable in this key. Perhaps you know that many composers associated specific emotions with certain keys. The key of E-flat major is a case in point, a key that is considered heroic. Think Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 The  Eroica , Strauss’  Ein Heldenleben , a Hero’s Life, and dozens of string quartets and symphonies by Haydn, Sibelius, Elgar, Dvořák, Mozart, Bruckner, Shostakovich, Mahler. Frédéric Chopin © Getty Image One of the most famous piece for piano in D-flat is the Cho...