The CONCERTO FOR VIOLIN No. 3 in B minor, Op. 61 was written in March of 1880, when Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) was 44 years old and at the peak of his output.

Written for fellow composer and virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate, the soloist initially deemed the work not virtuosic enough to satisfy audiences, although time and seeing the work win success for other soloists led to a revived enthusiasm and the concerto's inclusion in Sarasate's repertoire.

Saint-Saëns places the dramatic and tech...