Though chiefly remembered nowadays for this concerto and the Scottish Fantasy (also for violin and orchestra), Bruch was a prodigious composer, well respected teacher, and outstanding conductor. His conducting posts took him all over Europe, and included three years in Liverpool. He worked in all forms: orchestral, concerto, choral, opera and chamber music, but was best known during his life for choral works with orchestra - oratorios and the like. Indeed, his most successful work was an oratorio Odysseus, now quite unknown! His style was traditional, being closer to Mendelssohn that the more radical composers of his day such as Wagner. This concerto was first performed in Koblenz in 1866, but Bruch was unhappy with it, and revised it immediately. He did this in conjunction with Joseph Joachim, the great violin virtuoso of the late 19th century, to whom he dedicated the revised version. Joachim gave the first performance of this revision in 1868, with Bruch conducting. It was an immediate hit with audiences and violinists, and has remained popular ever since.

The first movement is rhapsodic, and is well titled Prelude. The opening chords are followed immediately by a flourish on the solo violin; then the main theme appears, allegro moderato, characterised by much double stopping (a feature of the solo writing in the whole concerto). A similar chorale and flourish end the movement, which leads without a pause into the lovely Adagio. This glorious movement has three main themes, all dreamy, which alternate and intertwine freely. Eventually a passionate climax is reached, decorated with sweeping arpeggios by the soloist.

The finale, allegro energico, has a main theme which dances energetically, featuring copious double and quadruple stops in the solo part. Again rhapsodic, though not as free in form as the first movement, the dominant mood is brilliance and fire.