Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Felix
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E minor Op.64
Early edition 1844 and late edition 1845
Set of Two Books (Piano Reduction & Violin Part)

In 1838, Felix Mendelssohn wrote to the violinist Ferdinand David that he was working on a violin concerto “…the theme of the beginning, in E minor, is running through my mind and will not give me peace.” The concerto in the state described by Mendelssohn to David was never published in a performance version – it was rediscovered only in 1988.

One would think that such an important work would be appropriately represented in modern editions true to the sources. Unfortunately, not even the score used today represents the orchestral parts that Mendelssohn intended to publish in 1845, but rather an edition that underwent significant revision in the 1860s by Julius Rietz for the Complete Edition of Mendelssohn.

For the Urtext edition of Bärenreiter, Mendelssohn specialist R. Larry Todd has edited both the original edition of the concerto and the late edition.