On July 30, 1838, Felix Mendelssohn wrote to his friend, the well-known German violinist Ferdinand David, “I’d like to write a violin concerto for you next winter; one in E minor sticks in my head, the beginning of which will not leave me in peace.”
With those lines, Mendelssohn began his last great work—a masterpiece to refute claims of a career in decline and a concerto that would prove as popular as any ever written.
Sketches confirm that Mendelssohn knew very early on how this music would sound. An extensive correspondence with David, spanning six years, shows how much care went into the details. Mendelssohn was the architect, David his technical advisor.
Fast-forward to 150 years later, and as many of you know, the E-Minor concerto has become what we call a “War Horse”. This beautiful piece is in every violin student’s aspiring repertoire. It reached a state where it is played either too fast or totally without any emotion.
Here’s an exception: I heard Anne-Sophie Mutter perform it yesterday, and I smiled. Listen and you’ll agree:
