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Masterclass: Saint-Saëns Violin Concerto no.3 in B minor, first movement

2025-04-04T09:06:00

Cr. Sophie Zhai ed2Z7A5310

Violinist Benjamin Beilman explores how to navigate the athletic virtuosity of a work that requires the soloist to have firm technical and musical command

I don’t think many solo violinists have this concerto readily available in their repertoire lists. That’s not to say they can’t prepare it, of course, but for some reason it’s not seen as a ‘top-tier’ concerto by some violinists. I am absolutely smitten with the piece as it has perfection of balance, pacing and characters, much like the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. I first encountered it when I was around 12 or 13 – it was seen as a useful staple piece to help you learn certain types of technical concepts, much like you would with the concertos of Bruch or Lalo…

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