Violin Repertoire
Find Concertos, Etudes, Showpieces, and Solo Sonatas.
Niccolò Paganini
Caprice For Solo Violin No. 1
Paganini wrote a set of 24 Caprices for Violin between 1802 and 1817. This was his first published work as a composer. He was primarily known as a performing violinist virtuoso in his time, but today his compositions are performed regularly.
Below, are two videos of Nathanael Leavitt performing his first Caprice of the set.
Kriesler, Recititivo and scherzo caprice
From Sounding Point Academy at the Colburn School.
If not redirected, video should start at 10 minutes and 20 seconds.
Korngold Violin Concerto
iii. allegro assai vivace
Korngold wrote his Violin Concerto in 1945 after World War II ended. Up until then, he vowed to only write film scores due to the distress of the wars. The concerto was premiered in 1947 by Jascha Heifetz, and is slowly working it is way into the cannon of standard violin repertoire.
Nathanael considers this piece to be a personal favorite and enjoys using it in competitions. He made this recording in Kulas Hall at the Cleveland Institute of Music in September, 2020.
III. andante
from sonata no. 2
by J.s. bach
This is the third movement to Bach’s Solo Sonata No. 2 in A Minor for Solo Violin. Bach wrote Six Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin and they are considered among the greatest pieces in the violin repertoire.
Gigue from Bach’s third partita
Bach wrote three partitas for Solo Violin. This is the final movement to his third partita. This partita, in E Major, is considered a staple of violin repertoire as it includes the famous Preludio which begins the work as a whole. This was recorded in Kulas Recital Hall at Oberlin Conservatory in 2019.
II. Fugato
from Eugene ysaÿe’s sonata no. 1
Eugene Ysaÿe wrote six sonatas for solo violin. This is the second movement from his first sonata. This sonata is written after Bach’s first violin sonata in G Minor. Nathanael recorded this Fugato in FTM Studios in Denver, Colorado in May 2020.