LRSM Violin Guide: Building a Serious ABRSM Recital
A practical guide to LRSM violin performance, including recital planning, Programme Notes, specialist options, Viva Voce and Quick Study.
LRSM violin is where the ABRSM diploma pathway begins to feel decisively independent. The recital is longer than DipABRSM, the Programme Notes need more technical depth, and the performer is expected to show more authority in style, pacing and programme design.
In the ABRSM Performance Diploma Syllabus 2022, LRSM Music Performance includes a recital of about 40 minutes, Programme Notes of about 1,800 words, a Viva Voce and a Quick Study. The usual prerequisite is DipABRSM Music Performance in the instrument, or an accepted substitution.
For the full sequence, see the ABRSM violin diploma exam hub.
What changes after DipABRSM
| Area | DipABRSM | LRSM |
|---|---|---|
| Recital length | About 35 minutes | About 40 minutes |
| Written work | Concert-style Programme Notes | More detailed and technical Programme Notes |
| Artistic demand | Secure first diploma recital | More individual, more analytical, more sustained |
| Options | Limited own-choice and related instrument possibilities | Wider specialist possibilities, including orchestral, chamber or keyboard-accompanist routes where applicable |
For most violinists, LRSM should not be approached as a slightly longer DipABRSM. It needs a more convincing artistic thread. The programme should have enough substance to feel like a recital a serious audience would choose to attend.
Repertoire direction
The LRSM violin list includes repertoire that can anchor a full recital identity: Bach solo sonata and partita movements, Beethoven sonata combinations, Bartok Rhapsody, Brahms sonata movements, Bruch, Debussy, Delius, Dvorak, Elgar, Faure, Franck, Grieg, Khachaturian, Lalo, Lutoslawski, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Part, Prokofiev, Ravel, Rodrigo, Saint-Saens, Schubert, Schumann, Shostakovich, Suk, Vaughan Williams and Vieuxtemps.
That range creates freedom, but also risk. A programme that jumps from one famous style to another without a reason can sound like a playlist. A stronger LRSM programme usually has one central argument: Classical proportion, Romantic sonata writing, twentieth-century colour, national style, or the relationship between solo violin writing and accompanied repertoire.
Programme planning
A good LRSM violin programme should answer four practical questions:
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What is the main work? | The recital needs a centre of gravity |
| Where is the contrast? | Tempo alone is not enough |
| How much stamina is required? | Forty minutes exposes tension and inefficient technique |
| What will the Viva Voce reveal? | The candidate must be able to discuss the choices intelligently |
If the main work is a substantial sonata or concerto movement, surrounding pieces should not all compete for the same emotional weight. If Bach is central, the rest of the recital should show that the player can move from contrapuntal clarity into another sound-world without losing identity.
LRSM violin repertoire choices
| Composer | Repertoire choice |
|---|---|
| J.S. Bach | Partita for solo violin no.1 in B minor, BWV 1002: 7th and 8th movts, Tempo di Borea and Double, from Bach 3 Sonatas and 3 Partitas for solo violin (Barenreiter BA 5116) |
| J.S. Bach | Sonata for solo violin no.1 in G minor, BWV 1001: 3rd and 4th movts, Siciliana and Presto, from Bach 3 Sonatas and 3 Partitas for solo violin (Barenreiter BA 5116) |
| J.S. Bach | Sonata for solo violin no.2 in A minor, BWV 1003: 3rd and 4th movts, Andante and Allegro, from Bach 3 Sonatas and 3 Partitas for solo violin (Barenreiter BA 5116) |
| J.S. Bach | Sonata for solo violin no.3 in C, BWV 1005: 3rd and 4th movts, Largo and Allegro assai, from Bach 3 Sonatas and 3 Partitas for solo violin (Barenreiter BA 5116) |
| Bartok | Rhapsody no.1: complete (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| Beethoven | Any two contrasting movements from one of these sonatas: Op.12 no.1 in D, Op.12 no.2 in A, Op.12 no.3 in E-flat, Op.23 in A minor, Op.24 in F “Spring”, Op.30 no.1 in A, Op.30 no.2 in C minor, Op.30 no.3 in G (Henle 7/8) |
| L. Berkeley | Introduction and Allegro for solo violin, Op.24 (Chester) |
| Brahms | Sonata in G, Op.78: any two movts (Wiener Urtext) |
| Brahms | Sonata in A, Op.100: any two movts (Wiener Urtext) |
| Bruch | Concerto no.1 in G minor, Op.26: 1st movt (Peters EP 4590) |
| Debussy | Sonata: complete (Henle 410) |
| Delius | Legende in E-flat (Forsyth) |
| Dvorak | Sonata in F, Op.57: 1st movt (Barenreiter Praha H 2178) |
| Elgar | Sonata in E minor, Op.82: 2nd and 3rd movts (Novello) |
| Faure | Sonata in A, Op.13: 1st movt (Peters EP 7487) |
| Franck | Sonata in A: 3rd and 4th movts (Henle 293 or Wiener Urtext) |
| Grieg | Sonata no.2 in G, Op.13: 2nd and 3rd movts (Peters EP 2279) |
| Khachaturian | Concerto in D minor: 1st movt (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| Lalo | Symphonie Espagnole, Op.21: 1st movt (Peters EP 3797a) |
| Lutoslawski | Partita: 1st movt (Chester) |
| Mendelssohn | Concerto in E minor, Op.64: 1st movt (Peters EP 1731a) |
| Mozart | Concerto no.5 in A, K.219: 1st movt with cadenza (Barenreiter BA 4712a) |
| Mozart | Sonata in B-flat, K.454: 1st and 2nd movts, or Sonata in E-flat, K.481: 1st and 2nd movts, from Mozart Sonatas for Piano and Violin, Vol.3 (Henle 79) |
| Arvo Part | Fratres (Universal UE17274) |
| Prokofiev | Any three of the 5 Melodies, Op.35b (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| Prokofiev | Sonata no.2 in D, Op.94b: 1st and 2nd movts (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| Ravel | Sonata: any one or two movts (Durand) |
| Ravel | Tzigane, Rapsodie de Concert (Durand) |
| Rodrigo | Concierto de Estio: 1st and 2nd movts (Ediciones Joaquin Rodrigo) |
| Saint-Saens | Havanaise, Op.83 (Durand) |
| Schubert | Sonata (Duo) in A, Op.162, D.574: 3rd and 4th movts (Barenreiter BA 5605) |
| Schumann | Sonata no.1 in A minor, Op.105: 1st and 2nd movts (Henle 428) |
| Seiber | Concert Piece (Schott ED 10429) |
| Shostakovich | Concerto no.1 in A minor, Op.77: 1st movt (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| Suk | Any two of the 4 Pieces, Op.17 (Simrock) |
| Vaughan Williams | Concerto Accademico in D minor: 1st movt (OUP archive-Allegro) |
| Vaughan Williams | Sonata in A minor: 3rd movt, Tema con Variazioni (OUP archive-Allegro) |
| Vieuxtemps | Concerto no.5 in A minor, Op.37: 1st movt (Peters EP 3323) |
Programme Notes and Viva Voce
At LRSM, Programme Notes should use more technical language than DipABRSM. That does not mean making the prose obscure. It means discussing musical content with more precision: form, harmony, motivic development, instrumental idiom, textural contrast, edition choices and interpretative consequences.
The Viva Voce should grow from that written work. A candidate should be prepared to discuss not only what the pieces are, but how they function and why the chosen performance decisions make sense.
Specialist options
The LRSM syllabus allows some candidates to present one third of the recital in a specialist area, such as orchestral musician, chamber ensemble member or keyboard accompanist. For violinists, the orchestral or chamber route can be meaningful if it reflects genuine experience.
Do not choose a specialist option because it appears easier. It should strengthen the recital identity. If the candidate cannot speak convincingly about orchestral style, ensemble responsibility, bowing conventions and listening skills, the option may create more pressure rather than less.
Next step
LRSM is a strong destination in itself. Candidates who are thinking beyond it should read the FRSM violin guide early, because FRSM changes the written requirement from Programme Notes to a substantial Written Submission.
