Accolay Violin Concerto No. 1 for Violin and String Orchestra

A one-movement concerto in A minor by Accolay, here for solo violin and string orchestra. It moves from a stormy A minor to a bright A major finish, and the tunes lie well under the fingers.

After a 20-bar orchestral opening, the soloist enters with rising arpeggio figure. Triplet arpeggios, semiquaver runs and double stops follow, each along side a beautiful melody. The lyrical section arrives in A minor and returns later in A major, where the concerto ends on a run of double stops. That ending is great fun to play, and it will test the left hand. In the opening tutti the first violins carry the tune over flowing triplets in the second violins and violas, with cellos and basses underneath. The orchestra then stays out of the soloist’s way.

The piece lasts about 9 minutes. It is a full concerto in one continuous movement, so it needs no cuts to fit a competition round, a recital half, or a school or youth orchestra concert with a guest soloist.

Check the score and parts preview images above, then watch the complete score video below. They’ll give you a clear picture of the engraving quality and overall difficulty before you buy.

• Instrumentation: solo violin, violin 1, violin 2, viola, cello, double bass
• Difficulty: approximately ABRSM Grade 7 to 8
• Duration: approximately 9 minutes
• Style focus: triplet arpeggios, semiquaver runs, double stops, A minor to A major
• Format: PDF download, full score and all parts

Advanced students and soloists who want a standard study concerto in a string orchestra setting will find plenty to work on here. Teachers and conductors can programme it as a concerto slot for a strong pupil or a guest player, with a string orchestra of any size.