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Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64

Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) · sheet music

  • Key E minor
  • Time 4/4
  • Levels 7–9
  • Passages 11

Your turn · both hands

 

 

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Felix Mendelssohn, German romantic (1809–1847). The reading release has 11 passages from this piece at levels 7–9; the reader above opens on the easiest, bars 5–8 for both hands together.

Practice the hard bars →

The hardest stretch is bars 1–4 at level 9.

Your practice path

Learn it the way teachers do: each hand on its own, then together, then the hard bars. Each step is a real graded passage of Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64.

  1. Hands together · bars 5–8 level 7
  2. The hardest bars · bars 1–4 level 9

How to play Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64

  1. Tempo:Start at a tempo where the long melodic notes breathe. The first movement is passionate, but it should never feel rushed or frantic.
  2. Right hand:The right hand often has the violin tune, with big chords added in the reduction. Aim for a singing top line and let the inner notes sit slightly lower in volume.
  3. Left hand:The left hand covers the orchestral bass and accompaniment. Keep it steady and smooth, and learn the chord shapes before adding the rhythm.
  4. Hands together:The wide chord spans in both hands need time to learn. Practice them as block chords first, then add the rhythm.
  5. Reading:This page has several ledger lines above and below the staff. Practice naming those notes aloud before you play so your eyes do not slow you down.
  6. Dynamics:Mendelssohn's music moves from whispering to intense. Plan a quiet start and a gradual climb to the peak of each phrase.
  7. Practice:Sing the violin line while you play, then add the accompaniment. That keeps the melody in charge instead of the notes.

Common mistakes

  • Playing the whole passage at one loud level. Fix: Start softer and shape a rise and fall inside each phrase.
  • Misreading notes on high or low ledger lines. Fix: Name the ledger notes slowly before you play and use landmark notes like middle C.
  • Pressing chords too hard so the melody is lost. Fix: Weight the top note of each chord and play the others lighter.

Structure: three-movement concerto played without breaks

A fast, passionate first movement flows into a calm, song-like slow movement, then a light and sparkling finale. A held bassoon note links the first and second movements, and a short bridge for violin and strings connects the second and third.

I · Allegro molto appassionato (E minor)
An urgent, singing theme in E minor. The piano reduction has long melodic lines, big chords and wide ledger-line reaches.
II · Andante (C major)
A warm, lyrical slow movement in C major in three parts, with a darker middle section in A minor. Expect broad phrases and a gentle accompaniment that rewards a singing touch.
III · Allegretto non troppo - Allegro molto vivace (E major)
A short, wistful bridge leads to a quick finale that opens with a trumpet fanfare. It calls for lightness and quick fingers.

About Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64

Mendelssohn first proposed the concerto to his friend Ferdinand David, the concertmaster of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, in a letter of 30 July 1838. The two corresponded throughout the project, and Mendelssohn leaned on David for violinistic advice. The autograph score is dated 16 September 1844, and the work was among the first concertos shaped with input from a professional violinist.

David played the premiere in Leipzig on 13 March 1845. Mendelssohn was ill, so Niels Gade conducted. Mendelssohn conducted it himself, again with David, on 23 October 1845.

Several details were unusual for the time. The three movements connect without breaks, which prevents applause between them, and Mendelssohn wrote out the first-movement cadenza in full instead of leaving it for the soloist. It also comes before the recapitulation, not at the end. Joseph Joachim called the work the heart's jewel among German violin concertos.

  • Mendelssohn wrote out the first-movement cadenza, and it appears before the recapitulation rather than at the end, which was the usual place in earlier concertos.
  • At the end of the first movement a bassoon holds a single note over from the final chord, bridging straight into the slow movement.
  • A manuscript found in Kraków in 1989 showed that the first movement was marked Allegro con fuoco before it became Allegro molto appassionato in print.
  • The concerto was the first piece released on the long-playing record in 1948, played by Nathan Milstein with the New York Philharmonic.

Why the first passage is level 7

That passage is level 7 rather than 6 because its chords stretch wide, it reaches 3 ledger lines.

This is a piano reduction of an orchestral score, so it has wide chords and many ledger lines. Take the passages slowly and scan for ledger-line notes before you play.

Questions about Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64

How hard is Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 to play?
Its passages grade from level 7 to level 9 on Real Sight Reader's ten-level reading scale, so the full piece is intermediate to advanced reading. The hardest stretch is bars 1–4 at level 9.
Is there an easy part of Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 for beginners?
Its easiest passage is level 7, so it suits a reader past the beginner stage. Start with bars 5–8 for both hands together, the level-7 passage in the reader at the top of this page; it is level 7 because its chords stretch wide and it reaches 3 ledger lines.
What key and time signature is Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 in?
Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 is in E minor, 1 sharp. The engraving on this page is in 4/4 time.
Who composed Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64?
Felix Mendelssohn, German romantic (1809–1847). Mendelssohn first proposed the concerto to his friend Ferdinand David, the concertmaster of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, in a letter of 30 July 1838.
Can I practice Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 online for free?
Yes. The reader on this page plays any of the 11 graded passages from Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 in your browser, with an on-screen keyboard or a MIDI keyboard, and marks every note as you play. No signup.
Who was the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto written for?
It was written for his friend Ferdinand David, the concertmaster of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, who played the premiere on 13 March 1845.
Why are the movements of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto connected?
The movements are linked so that there is no break for applause. A held bassoon note leads from the first movement into the second, and a short bridge passage links the second to the third.
How long is the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto?
A typical performance lasts just under half an hour.
Is the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in the public domain?
Yes. Mendelssohn died in 1847, so the original is in the public domain. Modern editions and arrangements can have their own rights; the engraving on this page comes from a public-domain source.

Every passage, easiest first

The reading release grades 11 distinct passages of this piece. Open any of them in the reader:

Level 7
bars 5–8 both hands · bars 7–10 both hands
Level 8
bars 13–16 both hands · bars 17–20 both hands
Level 9
bars 1–4 both hands · bars 1–12 both hands · bars 1–8 both hands · bars 9–16 both hands · bars 9–12 both hands · bars 17–24 both hands · bars 21–24 both hands

More pieces to sight-read

Score: public-domain engraving from the corpus (pdmx), graded by the piano-reading-v2-20261023-identity-audit reading release.

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