Concerto for violin and orchestra in D major, Opus 61

Beethoven's Violin Concerto did not gain its deserved honor during the composer's life. The work, which was perceived as tedious and lacking in brightness during its publication, only won its fit place in 1844, when violinist Joseph Joachim performed it in London, with an orchestra conducted by Mendelssohn. Joachim, the person who revealed the concerto's greatness, won his reputation overnight after this performance. The concerto became a popular work and one of the important violin concertos in the history of symphonic music. The concerto's first movement sticks to the Classical structure of symphony, and the solo violin is presented as part of the symphonic orchestra, rather than its rival. The orchestra begins with a long opening section, only after which does the violin come out and play its parts, that has absolutely no virtuosity per se. The movement is very long, and since it did not present technical virtuoso playing by the violinist, it has the reputation of a tedious concerto. Unlike Beethoven's piano concerti, in which the composer places the piano versus the rest of the orchestra, as if confronting them against each other, here, he joins the violin into the orchestra, as if he wanted to underline that the violin came from the orchestra and it will also end up part of it.

The cadenza is the solo part in which the soloist displays his or her ability and originality. The first movement of the concerto ends with a cadenza that in Beethoven's days used to be improvised by the solo violinist himself. During the following period, violinists began playing cadenzas written by the greatest performing players, and nowadays they often play the one written by Fritz Kreisler who wrote at the beginning of the 20th century.

The second movement is calm and gentle; the soloist converses with the orchestra, which, near the end of the movement, clears the stage for a lovely melody, all played by the violin.

The last movement is a lively, well-orchestrated rondo that ends with serenity unlike to Beethoven, and surprise! Beethoven ends with two roaring chords, as if demanding we do not forget this special concerto. It took another 38 years for the audience to recognize the greatness of this concerto, and ever since nobody has questioned its being one of the best violin concerto in history.