- Dvořák wrote the first version of Violin Concerto in a minor in 1978, intended for superstar violinist Joseph Joachim. The latter’s disapproval of the piece led Dvořák to revise the score. Further back-and-forth between the two musicians over the next couple of years, along with input from Dvořák’s publisher, ultimately led to the concerto’s final published version in 1882.
- Unfortunately, Joachim likely never performed the piece. The concerto was premiered by Czech violinist Frantisek Ondrícek.
- The concerto consists of three movements:
- Allegro ma non troppo
- Adagio ma non troppo
- Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo
- Violin Concerto in a minor displays Dvořák’s masterful integration of folkloric melodies, particularly in the third movement, and was written during the composer’s “Slavic period,” which also produced his Slavonic Dances and Symphony No. 6.
- Fun fact – Violin Concerto in a minor is the only work of its kind that Dvořák wrote.1
Sources
- “Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 53, B108,” Antonín Dvořák, accessed April 14, 2026, https://www.antonin-dvorak.cz/en/work/concerto-for-violin-and-orchestra-in-a-minor/.
Cut IDs
40279 41987 43546 18497 21116 23625 24693 24824 28141