Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy devoted himself with great passion to traveling through Europe, playing the piano, and conducting, so much so that he often lacked the opportunity to record his musical ideas in writing. Nevertheless, in 1838 he promised his close friend and concertmaster Ferdinand David a Violin Concerto in E minor. It was only years later, during a stay in Bad Soden in the Taunus region, that Mendelssohn composed the work. After intensive technical consultations with David regarding performance and technique, the concerto was finally premiered in Leipzig and thrilled the audience with its freshness and originality.
Max Bruch was inspired by Mendelssohn's composition and wrote his own significant work, the First Violin Concerto. Joseph Joachim conducted the premiere, which brought Bruch international acclaim. Although Bruch composed further pieces for violin and orchestra, none achieved the fame of his debut. Later he turned to the viola and composed, among other works, the Romance in F major for viola and orchestra, which he dedicated to Maurice Vieux. The piece is characterized by a gentle opening theme and a rhythmically striking second theme group.