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Almost all standard works of the classical repertoire are available in modern Urtext editions. At the same time, the established canon is continually expanded to include outstanding works by lesser-known composers, opening up new perspectives and keeping the repertoire vibrant.
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![Ruy Blas in C minor [Op. 95] MWV P 15](https://www.breitkopf.com/media/2f/g0/81/1764007714/9790004215210.jpg?ts=1764007714 "Ruy Blas in C minor [Op. 95] MWV P 15")
Work of the Month
April
Discover an outstanding work from our catalogue each month.
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
Violin Concerto in E minor op. 64 MWV O 14
Urtext based on the Leipzig Mendelssohn Complete Edition · edited by Birgit Müller
With his Violin Concerto in E minor op. 64, his final concerto, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy created one of the most iconic works in the violin repertoire, firmly established in concert life to this day.
When the composer announced in the summer of 1838 that he had “a violin concerto in E minor in mind,” enthusiasm was immediate—not least from his friend Ferdinand David, concertmaster of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, for whom the work was intended. Yet it took another seven years before the long-awaited concerto was finally published in June 1845 in Leipzig by Breitkopf & Härtel, as well as simultaneously in London and Milan.
The concerto is particularly distinguished by its innovative treatment of the solo part: from its striking entrance at the very beginning—without the customary orchestral introduction—to its refined and continuous musical dialogue with the orchestra. The premiere on 13 March 1845 at the Leipzig Gewandhaus, with Ferdinand David as soloist and conducted by Nils Wilhelm Gade, served as a kind of final revision stage. Following substantial changes by the composer, in collaboration with David, the first printed edition appeared nine months later, representing the definitive version of the work—faithfully presented in this Urtext edition.
The accompanying piano reduction includes both an unmarked solo part and a version in the well-established arrangement by Igor Oistrakh, ensuring maximum flexibility for rehearsal and performance.
