Roland F. Seitz

Student Concerto No. 2 in G major op. 13

Did Marlene Dietrich have the concerto in her repertoire when she, still a young girl, received violin lessons from Friedrich Seitz (1848-1918) in Dessau? As is well known, her career took a different direction - but the Student Concerto in G major op. 13 by Seitz, who first worked in Magdeburg and then from 1884 in Dessau as a concertmaster and violin teacher, is still one of the most popular and effective audition pieces for young violinists on their way to the big stage.

Following the conventions of the genre, the composition, first published in 1893, comprises three movements: a charming Allegro non troppo oscillating between concert and salon music, a sentimental-pathetic Adagio in a minor key and a cheerful Rondo in 6/8 time as the finale. Like almost all works by the dedicated music teacher Friedrich Seitz, this work also follows the tradition of facile et brillant, achieving the greatest possible effect in the gesture of virtuoso concert literature with minimal technical demands. It is sufficient for the student to have a secure command of the first position. In fast passages, good coordination of the left and right hand is required. Simple double stops, détaché, legato and elementary spiccato strokes train technical ability. Typical formal parts such as the cadenza insertion in the first movement and the beautiful, memorable melodies encourage creative imagination - the pupil experiences what fun playing 'virtuoso' literature can be!

The edition is published in the series Bärenreiter's Concert Pieces, which includes the most popular concertos and concert pieces for young violinists. The editor is the internationally renowned violin teacher Kurt Saßmannshaus. He has provided the solo part with fingerings and bowings and explains the technical requirements in a short foreword.