Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor

The third, last, and most celebrated of Camille Saint-Saëns’ concertos for violin and orchestra is dedicated to Pablo de Sarasate, the superstar Spanish violinist for whom the composer had also written his Violin Concerto No. 2 and the Introduction and Rondo capriccioso. On seeing the score, Sarasate was bowled over. He wrote to the publisher: “Saint-Saëns’ Concerto is a jewel. Please tell him not to allow anyone to play it before I do. You will see that I will make this first-class work a veritable prince of the heavens.” Saint-Saëns gladly complied and Sarasate premiered it at Paris’ Théâtre du Châtelet in October 1881. The work’s three movements encapsulate Saint-Saëns’ fondness for concise structures, catchy melodies, and dramatic flair. The soloist launches the work with a declamatory melody that includes leaping intervals almost designed to trip up nervous performers. Its key of B minor lends an inherently dramatic atmosphere; the E major second theme provides a honeyed contrast. The second movement (“Andantino quasi allegretto”) switches down into B-flat major for a barcarolle-like song without words. Here the violin engages in seductive conversations with the woodwind, while showing off such matters of technique as arpeggios in harmonics. After a recitative-like transition (“Molto moderato e maestoso”), the finale (“Allegro non troppo”) is a high-stepping tarantella. There’s an expansive second theme, but then Saint-Saëns introduces a new idea: a deceptively quiet chorale, which builds in significance and ultimately powers the concerto to an exhilarating conclusion.