Saint-Saëns began this ten-minute piece shortly after completing his Violin Concerto No. 3 (published as Op. 61, suggesting a close sequence). The composer's exact intentions for the Morceau de concert are hazy; the piece stands perfectly well on its own, but it may be the beginning of an unfinished fourth concerto. It carries no tempo markings, which was unusual for Saint-Saëns and a suggestion that he released the piece before he was really done with it. Its dimensions are certainly substantial enough for a concerto's opening movement and its generic title further sets it apart from the composer's other single-movement works for violin and orchestra. In his concertos, sonatas, and shorter works, Saint-Saëns never made things easy for the violin; typically, this piece requires a high degree of virtuosity. A dramatic, cadenza-like figure for the violin launches the movement and hints at a gypsy interest that Saint-Saëns neglects to pursue. Shortly, this becomes a figure from which the entire concert piece is derived: a menacing, jagged seven-note motif immediately followed by long, fast runs fluttering up and down the staff. The soloist and orchestra toy with this material at some length and then Saint-Saëns transforms it into a softer, playful gesture coupled with a more lyrical phrase; this occupies the central third of the movement and includes a confident, theatrical climax. Saint-Saëns then recapitulates these related themes, awards the soloist a full cadenza based on the motif in its original incarnation, and hastens to the end with a short, loud coda.

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