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Masterclass: Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto no.2 in G minor op.63

2023-09-13T09:57:00

James Ehnes

Violinist James Ehnes provides his insight into tackling the tricky technical demands of this lyrical masterpiece

Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto no.2 is one of my very favourite pieces. Written in 1935, it marks Prokofiev’s return to a somewhat more lyrical style of writing after his often jagged and dissonant (though wonderful) compositions of the 1920s, and it shares the same musical world as his ballet masterpiece Romeo and Juliet. It is mysterious, heartbreakingly beautiful, playful, sombre, tremendously exciting – and very difficult to play well.

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