Its first performance by Franz Clement was unsuccessful and for some decades the work languished in obscurity, until revived in 1844 by the then 12-year-old violinist Joseph Joachim with the orchestra of the London Philharmonic Society conducted by Felix Mendelssohn.

[5] Beethoven wrote the concerto for his colleague Franz Clement, a leading violinist of the day, who had earlier given him helpful advice on his opera Fidelio.

The work was premiered on 23 December 1806 in the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, the occasion being a benefit concert for Clement.

The work was revived in 1844, well after Beethoven's death, with a performance by the then 12-year-old violinist Joseph Joachim with the orchestra of the London Philharmonic Society conducted by Felix Mendelssohn.

It has been said that not only in this piece, but generally, "Recordings demonstrate that ... it was the practice in the early twentieth century to vary the tempo considerably within a movement,"[8] and that in the concerto, there is "often one big trough (slowing?)

"[9] The work is in three movements: It is scored, in addition to the solo violin, for flute, two oboes, two clarinets in A and C, two bassoons, two horns in D and G, two trumpets in D, timpani, and strings.

[10] New klezmer-inspired cadenzas written by Montreal-based klezmer clarinetist and composer Airat Ichmouratov for Alexandre Da Costa in 2011 have been recorded by the Taipei Symphony Orchestra for Warner Classics.

[11] The following violinists and composers have written cadenzas:[12] Perhaps due to the Violin Concerto's lack of success at its premiere, and at the request of Muzio Clementi, Beethoven revised it in a version for piano and orchestra, which was later published as Op. 61a.

This and the cadenzas for the other movements were later arranged for the violin (and timpani) by Rudolf Kolisch,[16] Max Rostal,[17] Ottokar Nováček,[18] Christian Tetzlaff[19] and Wolfgang Schneiderhan.

[27] The first known recording of Beethoven's violin concerto was made in 1923 for His Master's Voice by violinist Isolde Menges, with Landon Ronald conducting the Royal Albert Hall Orchestra.