Rieding Dance of the Dragon Flies Op 20 for Violin and Piano

Rieding: Dance of the Dragonflies (Libellentanz), Op. 20 — Violin & Piano

"Light on its feet" — a Grade 6 recital piece that builds real technique while still feeling like fun.

Oscar Rieding’s Dance of the Dragonflies is exactly what young violinists need when they’re ready to sound more agile, more lyrical, and more confident up the instrument. Written in 1904, this charming Romantic salon miniature sits perfectly at ABRSM Grade 6/7: musical enough for a proper recital, and practical enough to teach from week to week.

This new MyMusicScores edition is designed to clean and easy to ready.

See & hear the difference

Have a look at the score preview images above, then listen to the performance video. Together they let you check the layout, the musical shape, and the level of challenge before you buy.

Key Features

• Instrumentation: Violin and Piano
• Difficulty: ABRSM Grade 6/7
• Focus skills: off-the-string articulation, lyrical G-string playing, controlled G -string and E-string register work
• Format: High-quality PDF download
• Edition quality: Meticulously re-engraved (not a scan) for clean, rehearsal-ready reading

Why this piece matters (and why it works so well at Grade 6)

Dance of the Dragonflies has the sparkle students love, but it also quietly builds dependable technique.

• The off-the-string writing encourages a light, springy bow without forcing speed for its own sake.
• The lyrical passages on the G string help develop warmth, projection, and vibrato control in the lower register.
• The E-string writing invites students to explore the upper register in a way that stays secure and musical, not tense or forced.

That mix makes it a brilliant “next step” recital piece: it feels playful and bright, yet it leaves the player more polished at the end of the process.

A note on the composer

In 1904, Rieding retired from his long career in Budapest and moved to Celje (in today’s Slovenia), entering a later-life chapter focused on teaching and composing. Libellentanz, Op. 20 was published that same year by Bosworth & Co., and belongs to the period that produced many of his best-loved student works.

If you want a piece that genuinely develops bow control, colour, and confidence while still sounding light and engaging, this edition is built for exactly that.