Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 4 in B-flat major for the left hand, Op. 53, was commissioned by the one-armed pianist Paul Wittgenstein and completed in 1931. The concerto has four movements, lasting around 24 minutes. Wittgenstein did not understand...

This concerto, written in 1948 for the French virtuoso Marcel Mule, stands as the cornerstone of the rather limited repertoire for soprano saxophone. It is without a doubt the most popular piece for this member of the saxophone family.

This concerto was dedicated to the Hungarian violin virtuoso, Zoltán Székely, who requested the composition in 1936,[1] and is a prime example of verbunkos style. Bartók initially planned to write a single-movement set of...

EDITION ZEZA REPRINT SERIES Béla Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 1, BB 48a was written in the years 1907–1908. The concerto was dedicated to the violinist Stefi Geyer, with whom Bartók was in love. Geyer could not reciprocate...

The concerto was dedicated to Alma Mahler, the widow of Korngold's childhood mentor Gustav Mahler. It was premiered on 15 February 1947 by Jascha Heifetz and the St. Louis Symphony under conductor Vladimir Golschmann. Three Movements:   1...

EDITION ZEZA REPRINT SERIES The piece is a set of 24 variations on the twenty-fourth and last of Niccolò Paganini's Caprices for solo violin, which has inspired works by several composers. The whole composition would take about 22–24...

The orchestral version was written in 1920, dedicated to and premiered by Marie Hall. It is one of the most popular pieces in the Classical repertoire among British listeners. "The Lark Ascending" is inspired by George Meredith's 122-line poem of the...

In reality a ten-minute neo-classical piano concerto in two movements, Honegger's Concertino sports severe "wrong note" harmonies and complex counterpoint within what is actually a rigid framework. Two movements further subdivide into four, and the...

The Concerto No.2 for Horn and Orchestra is infused with Strauss' singular lyricism, reflecting the clarity of the composer's Romantic vision amid the strengthening winds of twentieth century modernism.

This concerto was commissioned by the prominent Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who had lost his right arm due to a wound sustained in World War I. The concerto negotiates several sections in various tempi and keys without pause. Towards the end of...

"The number of places in which I wrote the Concerto shows the kind of nomadic concert-tour life I led then. The main theme of the 1st movement was written in Paris, the first theme of the 2nd movement at Voronezh, the orchestration was finished in Baku...

Rhapsody No.2 SZ.90 is the second of two folk dances (often called "Hungarian Rhapsodies") for Violin and Orchestra that Bartók wrote in 1928. The 2nd Rhapsody is dedicated to the violinist Zoltán Székely, the founder of the...

Written in 1933, this hauntingly beautiful "Lyric Movement" is one of Gustav Holst's last works.

Composed in 1951, it was originally called "Fantasia Concertante". World premiere by Andrés Segovia, to whom it was dedicated, and conducted by the composer himself. W501 is the original version for Guitar and Orchestra. (The cadenza is included...

Concerto in D major for Oboe and Small Orchestra, AV 144, TrV 292.  Written in 1945, it was one of the last works that Richard Strauss composed near the end of his life, during an "Indian summer". This delightful Oboe Concerto has a lovely, warm...

Tzigane was composed between 1922 and 1924 and is a virtuosic, gypsy-inflected piece for Violin and Orchestra. This work, dedicated to violinist Jelly d'Aranyi, derives from Ravel’s interest in the gypsies and in Hungarian culture. Set of Parts...

Among Respighi's less familiar works, the Adagio con Variazioni is a beautiful, evocative and mellow single movement piece that nicely captures the singing capabilities of the cello.It was originally written for Cello and Piano and later orchestrated for...

Tchaikovsky's Sérénade Mélancolique in B-Flat minor was composed in 1875, one year earlier than his famous Violin Concerto, and was dedicated to Leopold Auer, but this dedication was later withdrawn.