Joseph Joachim's Second Violin Concerto: A violinist's guide to performance

Joseph Joachim’s impact as a violinist is undeniable; however, he is less known as a composer. Many violinists shy away from his pieces, perhaps owing to their great difficulty. Joachim wrote three violin concerti during his lifetime, all of which require great flexibility of the left hand and smooth string crossings with the right. Unfortunately, the number of resources addressing the performance practice and technical problems of his concerti is limited. This thesis aims to be a practical guide, presenting solutions to various technical problems introduced in Joachim’s Second Violin Concerto. By playing the work in the context of the historical playing styles of Joachim and his students Leopold Auer and Marie Soldat, and by drawing on my own experiences, I offer suggested solutions and practice styles to address the difficulties posed by this concerto. Joseph Joachim left behind a large body of compositions that are often overlooked. With this thesis, the author hopes to reinvigorate academic interest in Joachim’s compositional career and to encourage other violinists to explore his concerti.U of I OnlySchool of Music polic