Ranking the best violin concertos 🎻 [Difficulty Tier List] 

Tonic is amazing! You REALLY meet other people and can talk about their and your playing. (Not to mention the motivational booster due to gamification of your practice.)

Ray....I think there is a bit of a distinction between what is easy, and a category above easy, for Ray, with respect to the rest of us violinists that ...might not have won the Queen Elizabeth Competition! Ray....I have an amazing story of that most prestigious international competition that you won. I live in Las Vegas, and two houses down from mine, I noticed when getting the mail some absolutely brilliant piano playing, as a couple had moved in a few months ago. Due to a package being misdelivered, I rang the doorbell (just two weeks ago), and this very nice lady answered. I told her that she is an amazing pianist, and she shared that she had graduated from Julliard (not Curtis, but whatever!), and had concertized internationally, as she is from Taiwan, and taught piano. But....... she was not the best pianist in her home! That is her husband, for which she told me that he won the Queen Elizabeth competition....and he is Lukas Vondracek, the piano winner from 2016. So Ray....here is where it gets to be astoundingly unbelievable.....I then was talking with Lukas, and my response to hearing that he won the Queen Elizabeth competition was "That is beyond amazing..... And.....my uncle won the Queen Elizabeth Competition! Lukas' jaw dropped! He couldn't believe it, but yes, my Uncle was Berl Senofsky who was a great violinist of the 20th century, and has a legendary recording of the Brahms violin concerto with the Vienna Symphony and performed with the NY Phil and probably every major symphony throughout the world. I then said...."Lukas....there are 8 billion people in this world, and only about 80 have won the Queen Elizabeth competition. You move into a new house, and not even two doors down, your family isn't the only winner of the Queen Elizabeth competition!" Seriously what are the odds??? Lukas is from Czech Republic, performed all over the world, was in Boston for awhile, moves into a new house and then hears from the guy two doors down "The Queen Elizabeth Competition? Yeah, my uncle won that, no big deal!" Lukas is great guy and actually moved to Vegas because he likes hiking and it is a lot easier living here than LA or New York, and a lot less expensive. As I also play jazz and blues on the piano, even though his technical prowess is exponentially beyond mine, I might show him how to play some blues and get him out in the mountains where I run. For me, even though I performed with symphonies and chamber orchestras, and performed jazz at many venues in Las Vegas, and have an upcoming jazz-60's-70's violin cd to be released next year, I was not nowhere close to being the best violinist in my family, about a universe away from that! The sad part about my Uncle....seriously.....he didn't practice. I think sometimes he basically warmed up, and then just went on stage with symphonies in Chicago, NY, London, or wherever. Ray....he could have used your Tonic App......maybe that could have gotten him to practice more! I truly wonder how great he could have been if he would have practiced 3 or 4 hours a day. Also my cousin sold his violin to Ruggiero Ricci (I think a Guadagnini), and Ricci met my cousin with a suitcase of $250,000 of cash. Well that's what that instrument was worth in 2002, and it had been up for sale with a prominent violin dealer. Well that's my story Ray......for my next comment, allow me to share the rankings of those pieces for the rest of us violinists!

Ray on your rankings...for say the rest of us who are reasonably accomplished on the violin, but out of respect to Paganini et al, probably shouldn't perform their music beyond the confines of our living rooms.....allow me to share my perspective (as I am working on Paganiniana and used to be able to play Sibelius and the last movement of Tchaikovsky....to give you a feeling of my skill level..or lack thereof). Yes Vivaldi, Bach, and Haydn concerti......easy. Ray gets 100% on that. Beethoven and Brahms get an "S"? Probably for interpretation, musicality and expressiveness, but on a technical level, I played Beethoven in college (not with an orchestra) and if I could play it...... that is no S my friend.....that's a B, maybe even a C. Bruch and Mendelssohn are no C Ray....definitely B. Tchaikovsky is harder than Beethoven and Brahms. By the way, I think almost everybody plays the last page of the Tchaikovsky concerto too slow. I play it really fast, or what I term my "time management version". Do that last page really fast Ray.....I think it works, especially the last few lines....and some violinists slur those notes, and I don't like that. Just rip it man! Ray.....almost anything by Paganini gets an S....with or without double harmonics. Then Hadelich thinks the cadenza for Ligeti's concerto is in the competition for most difficult. Mozart's 4th gets an A? Not sure on that one, maybe a C regarding the technical aspects, but the delicate passages and precision that is a different nature. Well, whether right or wrong, those are my thoughts, and I thank you for sharing from your tremendous experience and your sheer brilliance and incredible playing of how you rank these. If you give Bruch and Mendelssohn a C.....I might have to start playing viola!

Could you also do a raking for violin-piano "show" pieces? Thanks!

You could go check out Ichika Nito - Awakening for your next challenge. He has an awesome style and really interesting phrasing 😁

I mean Vivaldi A minor is the easiest i think by far, technically at least. Bach i would think no less than 5 years before you can play it decently.

Tchaikovski in « middle hard » section let you know enough about Ray’s technical skills…

vivaldi a minor 3rd movement suzuki version if played really presto as intended is C tier. but almost everyone plays it at a moderade tempo because it's easier (to the player and to the listener). the non-suzuki version i think keeps on easy tier even on presto.@@grilloderiver

@@ElsweyrDiego If Bruch 1 is c tier i can't put vivaldi up there, but like they said Ray has his own rating system, because he is a master at violin.

The Vivaldi a minor is one of the first 'real' concertos you play when learning the violin. The 'easy' ones (yellow) are rather advanced and what comes next is not reacheable for every hobby musician.

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Imagine being a violist...

@@mr.incognito9100 understandable, although I absolutely adore Forsyth's Viola Concerto

You shouldn’t be jealous, size matters 🤣😂😂

it's still not too late to start learning the violin 🤣

And as a violinist I‘m jealous of your Tchaikovsky Rococo variations😉 or Elgar‘s cello concerto.

Indeed. He speaks as a top rank soloist.

🤣

I find the editing to be a bit heavy-handed and cringy imo

​@@neeltheother2342it's funny because it cringy😂

the uncle sam filter when he pointed and said “you” was so funny to me for no reason 😭😭

@@neeltheother2342 Don't be a jerk.

Completely overplayed, lost all its appeal to me

@@Alix777. Poor you!!

@@Alix777. Try some other version.

So true!

I think it's the greatest symphonic work ever written.

Brahms is not a violinist 😉 he consulted joachim for the passages but how he wrote the solo’s still very pianistic in my point of view

AND Beethoven omg !!!

I wish so hard he has a cello concerto, but he didn't have one.......... cry.

haha Nikocado I just can't believe u still practice violin :0

its not difficulty, its by order of practice to reward; thats why he put beethoven above paganini.

I fully agree.

I don’t think his list was about technical difficulties of these pieces. It’s about the “how hard is it to have an impact on your audience with these music as a performer on the stage, taking in the consideration of both technicality and musicality of each one of them.”

though i dont like your mukbang videos, its great to see you still in the violin community

He probably would’ve ranked it as mid C tier. It’s relatively easy and definitely a bang for your buck.

@@lunaic9446 yeah I would agree as well

What violinist for Bruch iyo ?

It's a concerto that many a youth orchestra player has a crack at. Pretty easy. I love it though!!

@@JeanDeLaCroix_ Ray is my go-to for the Bruch! He does it on his album called The Golden Age, and I love his interpretation; that recording is what made me a fan both of the concerto and of Ray. :)

Can you???

Seconded! Rondo and Capriccio is my favorite violin concerto of all time. Would’ve liked to see it ranked.

​@@disjunction66 that's not a violin concerto, merely a piece (introduction and rondo) for violin plus orchestra. Saint Saëns did write a few violin concertos though (Nr. 3 being the most popular)

Likewise my favourite. 3rd mvt is like a Russian fairy tale

Prokofiev is really underrated. His able to create wonderfull atmospheres. 2nd movement from 2nd concerto is one of the most beautiful things I've heard. You can also check his violin sonata 1 (3d mov is beautiful)

Does anyone know why Heifetz never recorded #1? My favorite recording of #2 is Isaac Stern (with Bernstein, I think).

@@tbarrelierI do reccomend Janine Jansen

Yes, I thought Khachaturian’s belonged. Evidently still fighting for more respect, though the LA Phil recently performed the love theme from Spartacus and the Piano Concerto.

Yes, that would be cool. At least, including the first five you mentioned. Maybe have the floor be something like Praeludium and Allegro, though.

I'm actually working Beethoven's Romance and it is not THAT easy 😁

​@@gae11e I suspect a difficulty tier list of the 30 most popular violin showpieces would probably look more like a pyramid with, say, the Waxman Carmen Fantasy and the Wieniawski Variations on an Original Theme on the S tier. Then the Ravel Tzigane, Sarasate Carmen Fantasy and a couple others on the A tier. And then something like 6 pieces on the B tier, 8 pieces on the C tier, and 10 pieces on the D tier.

These are more performance pieces than concerto’s. Coming from a performance perspective these pieces of music are extremely challenging because there is an element of being absolute about your playing. You have to know them like the back of your hand, you have to live and breath them. They may not be the complex but believe you me,there is nothing better than playing them right and hearing the recognition from an audience. I think this to be the case for any instrument, you can;t hide mistakes in pieces of music that everyone knows well. Just my thoughts.!

@@gae11eNo it’s absolutely not my friend. However if i may add advice on this. When playing this really change your mind set from Technical to Emotional! Really consider Beethoven’s emotional state, the exact period of time it was written and the state of Europe in this period. Approach the piece from the perspective of a call and an answer, a song from one lover to another. Also even consider getting a thicker G string and using gut strings for the D. Really try and get a long and wide vibrato on the low notes to draw out that emotional and passionate sound. This piece is all about the emotion! Hope this may have helped.

Agree, Sibelius and Brahms are the greatest.

Ick. Bartok. Just why.

My favorite violin concertos are Dvorak, Brahms and Sibelius. The Dvorak is not played enough.

That sounds like something I’d say when I was like thirteen and thought I knew everything lol I mean diminishing Beethoven to nothing but scales and arpeggios is almost too dumb to even pay any mind to

The challenge in Beethoven is bringing out the beauty of that piece, and not just playing scales and arpeggios. Very little vibrato to hide behind. Written by a pianist with little regard for how comfortable it would be in the hand for violinists. It's exceedingly difficult, and absolutely stunning when done correctly.

@lt_johnmcclane well but also I think the beethoven at times does take a back seat to more flashier concertos BECAUSE it doesn't have those "flashy" sections that the other "great" concertos do. I find it exponentially harder to play vs Tchaikovsky

Thanks for that. Yes--it didn't sound quite right, but I didn't know his whole history.

Ooh that sounds super interesting, do you have the name by any chance??

Is that from a listener's perspective or are you a soloist? I thought the Sibelius would be higher on the list (as a listener) but Ray knows best!! :)

@@john1951w I've played most of these concertos and Sibelius is at least A tier. It's *really* difficult

@@john1951w Yes I play professionally. I would guess a large chunk of Ray's audience does. No one "knows best".

It's a lovely piece, I like it much too.

i agree

That would be interesting, yes.

This is an interesting video from a composer’s perspective-if you make a performer work hard, they need it to be rewarding.

you would need to be more specific with your question. Are you referring to his violin solo writing, or contrapuntal passages, or orchestration, or other works?

4 seasons doesn’t compare at all to bruch and especially mendelssohn imo, both musically and technically

Yes, I played Mendelssohn and musicality is very complex. But think that 4 seasons are that: 4 concertos. I can imagine that playing the 4 in one concert will be really tiring

Delius :-)

HAHAHA! luckily I came across your comment! I was sad that the Berg wasn't in the list as well!

Agreed, his recording of Wienawski 1 is absolutely amazing.

should be S, my friend performed it in senior year of highschool and barely made it through. Finger cramps hand cramps forearm and bow arm. Painful piece to play unless ur built different

Wieniawski #1 is S tier. There are just too many spots to mess up and they're all so exposed and so obvious, it's very difficult to get proper intonation in those large intervals.

So apparently...you like Lou Harrison??? JK, I do too, and I'm glad you gave him a shout out here...more people/violinists need to hear him (and other mid to late 20th Century masterpieces for the solo violin too)

@@ericleiter6179 I had a chance to meet him! Unfortunately, I had a gig the same day/time, and it didn't happen, though.

@garputhefork That sucks! What an amazing forward looking composer he was!!! He died in Lafayette IN I believe, and that's like 45 minutes from where I live...so sad

Sorry, do you realise that you completely botched Beethoven? Every note is out of tune, intonation is horrendous. Same with Chaconne. You are not ready for those pieces, you cannot hear. Probably you will never be ready, as you are not a young child and still think you play. You need scales, etudes and more scales, Shradieck and more scales. Awful. Please don't think of touching Tchaikovsky, and bnever touch Chaconne and any Bach at all, and no Beethoven until your intonation becomes completely corrected. You need Vivaldi A minor and a strict teacher who will tell you the real things about your playing. No, you are not prepared now even for Spohr. You are still not able to hear yourself.

You are spot on. There's nowhere to hide in the Beethoven. It has to be immaculate and the first entry is a pig!!

@@john1951w Well, this guy should not be playing it.

sibelius then brahms

@@consumer614 I think it might have autocorrected from pain 😅

I mentioned Tchaikovsky and Brahms in a post the other day and some guy called them both garbage. That was just nuts.

@@PETERJOHN101 bruhh that's blasphemy to the maestros...

Tchaikovsky's concerto is, I think, the King of violin concerti.

The Saint Saens sounds harder than it actually is. I love it too.

Not keen on the Walton, but mad for the Britten. Over the last couple of decades, it's estblished itself in the repertory. It makes despair beautiful.

Both are instantly S tier

Both are harder than Beethoven and Brahms

I guess the Bach E-major didn't quite make the cut either.

I agree that they are the top three. They are so different from one another.

The solo from the 2nd movement is great!!