[1] In 2019, the premiere recording of the concerto featured Cameron with Mauceri conducting the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
[2] The work calls for solo violin and orchestra of 3 flutes (3rd doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, 2 bass clarinets, 3 bassoons (3rd doubling contrabassoon), 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 tenor trombones, bass trombone, tuba (doubling cimbasso), harp, celesta, strings (with violins I and II played antiphonally), and percussion including bass drum (with cymbal attachment), chimes, claves, cymbals, glockenspiel (printed c3-C6 range), suspended cymbals (large, medium and small), tam-tam, tambourine (mounted, no head), timpani, tom-toms (8 inch, 10 inch, 12 and 14 inch), triangle, vibraphone, woodblocks (piccolo, high, medium, low), and xylophone.
[4] Discussing influences on Elfman's violin concerto in their review of the recording, Gramophone points to the "spiky, mordant humour" of Prokofiev in the first movement and the "darkly lyric minimalism of Shostakovich" in the third movement, noting "the exhilarating climax of the finale shows his prowess and relish for the big gesture but also a deeper instinct by resisting the big finish and returning to the lachrymose beginnings of the piece.
"[5] In their review of a performance by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in October 2019, Buffalo News described the concerto as "a massive four-movement work, drawing musical influences from Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, Ravel and others," but noted that the piece also encompasses hallmarks of Elfman's film music "like quirky melodies, hauntingly beautiful harmonies, menacing low brass blasts, bone-rattling cackles from mallet percussion and plucked strings.
"[6] The Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote that though Elfman's roots in composing for the cinema are evident, the piece "paints pictures with pure sound" noting "Bernstein-esque jazziness, and artful integration of bells and other percussion.