Pablo de Sarasate is perhaps best known nowadays for his sparkling violin compositions, such as
Zigeunerweisen Op.20, the Carmen Fantasy Op.25, and the
Spanish dances - made popular by Itzahk Perlman and others.
Sarasate was also an outstanding virtuoso violinist of his day. He toured in Europe, North and South America, Russia and even India. Born in 1844 in Pamplona, Spain, he was the son of a military bandmaster. He studied the violin at the Paris Conservatoire with Delphin Alard (the son-in-law of
Jean Baptiste Vuillaume * and former pupil of Francois Antoine Habeneck) and harmony with Henri Reber (a former pupil of Le Sueur). His compositional output of 54 opus numbers illustrate his skill both as performer and composer. He was widely admired and 'main-stream' composers dedicated works to him. These included Max Bruch (the
Scottish Fantasy and the famous
Violin Concerto No.2), Eduard Lalo (the
Symphonie Espagnol for violin and Orchestra and two of his Violin Concertos), Dvorak (
Mazurek op.49) and the contemporary violinist-composers: Joachim and Wieniawski. He died at Biarritz in 1908.
Sarasate is known to have owned some beautiful old Italian violins, including three instruments by
Antonio Stradivari and a
Guarneri del Gesu which had belonged to Ferdinand David (1810-1873). Queen Isabella of Spain, who had been Sarasate's patron whilst at the Conservatoire in Paris, gave Sarasate the
Boissier Stradivari of 1713. He apparently left his favourite Stadivari (the
ex Sarasate of 1724) to the Paris Conservatoire. This violin had once alledgedy belonged to Nicolo Paganini.
Zigeunerweisen, published in 1878, has become one of the best-known show pieces in the violin repertoire. Its contrasting sections of fire and romance have appealed to audiences and violinists for over 125 years.
Miramar Zortzico for Violin and Piano Op. 42 was published in 1899. It has a time signiture of 5/8 and elegant folk-like idiom.
Romanza Andaluza for violin and Piano Op. 22 No.3 was also published in 1899. A real spanish-sounding Romance, includes the typical 'Sarasate sound', without many technical complexities.
Adios Montanas Mias, for Violin and Piano, Op.37, published in 1896.
Jota Navarra, for Violin and Piano, Op.22, published Berlin 1879.
Spanish Dance, for Violin and Piano, Op.26 no.2, published Berlin 1882.
Zapateado, for Violin and Piano, Op.23 No.2, published Berlin 1880.
by Fiona Vilnite, Editor, musicforstrings.com
*See Old Violins by H R Haweis - page 90, edition Music for Strings 2005.
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