Vieuxtemps: Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Minor, Op. 37

Description

Violin Concerto No. 5, Op. 37 by Henri Vieuxtemps (1820-1881) was composed between 1858 and 1861. It premiered in 1861 in Brussels with the Brussels Conservatory Orchestra, featuring Vieuxtemps himself as the soloist. Commonly referred to as the "Gretry" concerto, the second movement borrows its melodic material from André Grétry's opéra comique Lucile. Written as an examination piece for the Brussels Conservatory, it quickly became popular in the concert hall due to both the brilliance of the solo violin part and the unusual way the three movements elide together. It has remained one of Vieuxtemps' most popular pieces to this day.

Instrumentation: 1.2.2.2: 2.2.0.0: Timp: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set): Solo Violin.