Mollenhauer The Infant Paganini for Violin and String Orchestra

Mollenhauer's The Infant Paganini is a short concert fantasy designed to evoke the theatrical virtuosity of Paganini in a piece that sits at ABRSM Grade 5: dramatic, fast-moving, and built for audience impact. This arrangement by Paul Wood sets the original violin and piano version for solo violin and string orchestra, giving the solo line the weight and colour of an ensemble behind it.

Eduard Mollenhauer (1827-1914) was a German violinist who spent much of his career touring in America, and his writing for the instrument is consistently idiomatic and audience-friendly. The piece combines rapid passage work, dramatic dynamic contrasts, and a memorable lyrical theme in a fantasy-style structure that evokes the Paganini tradition without requiring Paganini-level technique. At Grade 5, the demands are on agility, bow control, and theatrical projection rather than advanced position work, which makes it a rewarding step up for a student ready to move beyond standard repertoire.

The string orchestra part provides harmonic support and rhythmic momentum while keeping the solo line clearly out front throughout.

At five minutes, it makes a strong solo feature in a school or youth orchestra concert, and the dramatic character gives it real audience impact without the rehearsal demands of a full concerto. For a Grade 5 student, performing a piece with this much theatrical energy in front of an orchestra is a different experience from a recital or examination performance.

See and hear the difference

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.

Key features

• Instrumentation: Solo Violin and String Orchestra (Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello, Double Bass)
• Difficulty: approximately ABRSM Grade 5 (solo)
• Duration: approximately 5 minutes
• Style focus: rapid passage work, dramatic bow control, theatrical character
• Arranger: Paul Wood for MyMusicScores
• Format: PDF download, full score and all parts

Who it's for

Suits a Grade 5 violinist ready for a dramatic, high-impact solo feature with ensemble support, and a school or youth orchestra looking for a short concert item built around a young soloist. Works well for school concerts, prize-giving events, and youth orchestra programmes where something theatrical and accessible is needed.