As part of Scarecrow Press's Music Finders series, this go-to reference source provides pertinent information about the standard repertoire of works heard today in the great concert halls and recorded by the most prominent professionals. Drawing on extensive research of musical programs performed on the world's stages, Nardolillo selects only those works performed and recorded by great performers and regularly studied in conservatories by students of leading pedagogues.
Organized alphabetically by composer, each entry in The Canon of Violin Literature includes the title, date of composition, date and performer of premiere, key, duration, instrumentation, and movements of the work. In addition, entries include brief notes offering historical, technical, and performance information crucial to study of the work. Finally, each entry offers information on the publishers, editions, and editors of the sheet music, concluding with a list of several recordings by famous artists and recommended books for further information about the piece. Appendixes include a chronological listing of the works, a grouping by genre, an index of piece titles, an index of performers, and a bibliography of other reference books for violinists. In addition to hard-to-find information on premieres, commissions, and editions, The Canon of Violin Literature supplies performers and teachers with the name of the violinist who provided fingerings and bowings for each edition, as well as accurate dates for when the work was edited.

The Canon of Violin Literature is for performers of violin repertoire; private teachers and college professors in need of a guide to help them assign appropriate works for students' recitals, juries, and competitions; and chamber series directors, musicologists, and editors planning concert seasons, creating programs, and writing liner notes for recordings.