The second violin concerto, which remains one of the most popular violin concertos of the Romantic era, has been artfully arranged by Alan Arnold for viola with piano accompaniment.

Written during the relatively stable period of Wieniawski's residence in St Petersburg, the second Violin Concerto in D minor, Op.22, is generally considered his finest work. Richly melodic and highly idiomatic, the work balances the elements of style dispassionately and serenely. Wieniawski first played the work in St Petersburg on 27 November 1862 under the baton of Anton Rubinstein.