sakuraswordly reblogged
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Storm - Vivaldi
sakuraswordly reblogged
OTD in Music History: Legendary Spanish conductor, composer, and violin virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate (1844 - 1908) dies in France. A well-respected conductor and a highly gifted composer, Sarasate is undoubtedly best remembered today for being one the very greatest violin virtuosos of the Romantic era. It should be noted, however, that his compositional efforts usually dovetailed very closely with his concertizing career -- his most famous original works include the "Spanish Dances" (published in four volumes between 1877 - 1882), the "Zigeunerweisen" ("Gypsy Airs") (1878), and the show-stopping "Carmen Fantasy" (1882) on themes taken from George Bizet's (1838 - 1875) famous opera, "Carmen" (1875)... all of which were specifically written to showcase a virtuoso violin soloist. Of Sarasate's unusually effective and highly idiomatic writing for his own instrument, famed British playwright and music critic George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950) once declared that while there have been many composers of music *for the violin*, there are very few composers *of violin music* -- and then went on to identify Sarasate as a member of that rarified latter caste. And concerning Sarasate's abilities as a performer of his own works, Shaw hastened to add that he "obviously left all criticism gasping miles behind him." PICTURED: A c. 1900 real photo postcard showing the elderly Sarasate holding his violin.