Top 10 Greatest Violin Concertos of All Time

This is the among the top three beautiful pieces of all time! The first time I heard it, I was shocked, and in an emotional trance for a few days. It was SO beautiful, and SO difficult sounding that I even thought "I will never be able to learn this piece" I was so determined to learn it, however that I started to learn it for a competition. I'm now halfway through the first movement! Bravo Tchaikovsky! May your legacy never fade!

This was one of the first major violin concertos I've listened to. When I heard Perlman play this piece, I instantly loved it. It has beautiful melodies in it along with difficult parts that impress anyone in the audience. While I love the classical and refined Beethoven concerto, I prefer the emotional emphasis in the Tchaikovsky concerto.

Simply the best. As beautiful and moving as any composition ever created, with perhaps the most innovative use of synergy/contrast between the lead and the orchestra of any violin concerto. To boot, the lead violin is still considered to this day one of the hardest pieces to play.

Ludwig van Beethoven - simply incomparable in my humble opinion. He produced an astonishing volume of works and so many of outstanding beauty. He has to be the greatest classical composer of all time. It may be that students, experts in music may find others,like Mozart and Bach for example, to be more clever at the technical side, but for the average person like me, who simply enjoys listening to the most sublime musical sounds then, as I say, LvB has to be number one. But of course LvB inspired my other favourite, Richard Wagner, and some of his pieces are unbelievably emotive and epic,never failing to move me to tears.

This works reflected all his other works and despite of Tchaikovsky's concerto, it conclude whatsoever of Beethoven's own personal characteristics as well as his personalities.

Hard choice. But there is something so pure and straightforward about this one, compared with the frenzied gypsy-influenced Tchiakovsky and Brahms. Sometimes less is more.

Mendelsshon's Violin Concerto in E Minor may just be that most perfect piece of music ever written. The construction is immaculate throughout, from the passion and grace of the first movement, the delicacy and haunting qualities of the second, to finally the jubilant and wondrously light third. The transitions from each are fluid, and all it's themes are as memorable as they beautiful.

I agree with the previous voter. This violin concerto is a true innovator, inspirer, and a must-have in every violinist's repertoire. A melodious, beautiful, gorgeous, unearthly, and simply AWE-INSPIRING concerto like no other. The movements have loads of emotion, and they are sweet, catchy, and amazing. A must-listen that should be number 1! "

A great piece by Mendelssohn. Very beautiful in the 1st movement. Also, it tends ot be melodic and festive the in the 3rd movement. This is my favorite of all time tied with Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. MASTERPIECE!

This is the best Violin Concerto and the hardest to play. The only one able to perform it with the speed and dexterity in our time was Jascha Heifetz. I have recordings of Itzhak Perlman (a Great Violinist) and have heard other players as well and none of them can come close to playing it like Jascha Heifetz played it. I used to play violin in the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra so I know of what I speak.

I found mr perlmans interpretation to be superior to all others by far, listen for yourself on utube... You don't have to be a violinist to come to this conclusion. His musicality on the violin is rare and because of this I listened to it over and over again.

An absolute pleasure to listen to. Full of colour and passion. A dream.

This violin concerto might be a little hard to understand and enjoy at first. At least that happened to me. But when you push yourself to listen to it a few times, you will descover how true and beautiful it is. Classical pieces are hard to compare with all eras bordering them, but my urge to listen to Sibelius' concerto over other great composers wins my vote for this deep and beautiful concerto.

To me, this concerto is the perfect marriage of emotion, technical genius, and orchestration. It truly is without equal.

To me it's the emotion and delicacy not that much present in other works of Sibelius.

The largo is as beautiful as any movement of any concerto of any era

The slow part of the first movement of this concerto can throbs your inner most heart strings. It engulfs you with so much saddens and emotion which makes you to not let it go of it. You can only hear such sad notes in Beethoven's string quartets and Mahler's symphonies (slow notes). Nothing like it. Thanks God and Max Bruch for this great work.

For me, this concerto was a little difficult to understand the meaning and to be able to express a story through the song at first. After a few times listening to other players such as Sarah Chang and Joshua Bell who played the song beautifully, it was much easier to interpret it.

Perhaps the most inspiring piece of classical music you would ever hear of this piece is Hilary Hahn with the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra conducted by Andrés Orozco-Estrada. Its on Youtube and doubt anyone could possibly be disappointed.

This is a masterpiece, Vivaldi teach how to make concertos to the forward generations of musicians.

The winter 2nd. So sad, so beautiful! Great representation of nature.

Why is this not in the top ten? It is certainly hard to comprehend and takes a couple listens to sink in, but it is an absolutely amazing concerto. The first movement is just the perfect combination of vague and creepy. The two fast movements are the kind of Shostakovichian grotesque dances that turn up in many of his works. And the third movement exploits the passacaglia form to its fullest, with a beauty unusual for Shostakovitch. There is nothing not to love in this, and it deserves to be up with the Beethoven and Brahms as a true masterwork.

The fact that this masterpiece is not at least in the top 3 simply goes to show the purely snobbish nature of traditional classical music lovers. Mozart and Vivaldi do not come close in brilliance or influence to this godly composer.

Pure bel canto, fresh, joy, Italy... Beyond virtuosity, this is a masterpiece of a master musician

Should be higher up in the list. Such joy, light heartedness, and sense of humor.

Flood of emotion through the high pitched notes.

What could be nicer than this music?

Rich melody in all movements.

Great virtuosity required for this melodic yet dramatic piece.

Wonderful detour into "Turkish" mode. Mozart played with all kinds of expression and here he does another perfect job.

This certainly should be in the top ten. It is a lovely and beautiful violin concerto. I played in the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra (Violin) and heard and watched Nathan Milstein perform it in Phoenix a long time ago. He was a great violinist and he played much in the style as does Bell today.

This is a very underrated piece. It has great solo and orchestral parts, loads of emotion, and a good balance between virtuosity and melody.

Saint-Saens is the most remarkable example of the successful encounter of classicism and romanticism.

Absolutely underrated and deserves greater audience. The melodies are superb!

One of the most moving of all.

Delightfully eccentric composition with more post romantic flourishes than you would have thought possible.

Some gorgeous melodies; full of emotion, I never tire of this work, probably my favouriteam violin concerto.

The most underrated violin concerto of all time...

So beautiful! The movements fit together wonderfully, and really capture Russian music at the time. I cry every time in the second movement.

It's so beautiful and so tricky. All three movements are fantastic

How in the WORLD is the Barber Violin Concerto this low? It is TOP TEN, and has achieved much more fame and notoriety than many above it. Please put it where it deserves.