This was the first major work written by the highly conservative Hungarian composer after he settled permanently in the United States in 1949. As a teen-ager, Dohnanyi had won approval from Johannes Brahms, and was content to compose fine music that remained in a late 19th Century style, rich, melodic, and romantic.

The concerto was written for Frances Manges, who played its premiere. Although a slowish movement, the first movement is dramatic and in sonata-allegro form, with an angular, dramatic theme and a lyrical second subject. The second movement is a dancing scherzo displaying Dohnanyi's exceptional sense of musical humor. The third movement is another singing, lyrical movement, with lush romantic orchestration. It leads without pause to another fast, good-humored movement, with highly accomplished contrapuntal writing in the coda. The coda also rounds off the entire composition in a satisfying way by quoting the opening gesture of the concerto, a fanfare-like series of chords which were original given to the violin.

Dohnanyi solved one of the recurring balance problems of violin concertos through a simple means: he does not use the orchestral violinist at all in this work. The result, besides additionally highlighting the soloist, is to create an unusual sound with increased dominance of the wind instruments.

© All Music Guide