Classical Works Spotlight #353--Pablo de Sarasate

[erik]

Georges Bizet's masterpiece "Carmen" inspired the creation at least two works for violin and orchestra that are based among the opera's famous melodies. The first of these, by the Spanish composer and violin master Pablo de Sarasate, is in this week's Classical Works Spotlight.

Sarasate: CARMEN FANTASY, OP. 25

One of only a handful of virtuoso violinists who managed a career in composing, the Spanish composer Pablo de Sarasate was as known for the virtuosity implicit in his violin playing as Nicolo Paganini; and as such, the works that he wrote for violin are works that would continue to challenge and entice violinists for centuries to come. Works for violin and orchestra such as Eduard Lalo’s “Symphonie Espagnole”, and Saint-Saens’ “Introduction And Rondo Capriccioso” were, in fact, written expressly for Sarasate himself. But in 1882, he set out on what was to become his most famous violin work, a fantasy for violin and orchestra based on themes found in what was then a very scandalous opera, namely Georges Bizet’s “Carmen.” In five interrelated movements, Sarasate took various, and already fairly popular, themes of the opera and weaved them into a mini-concerto of sorts: (1) Aragonaise (the entr’acte to Act 4); (2) Habanera (from Act 1); (3) “Tra La La…Coupe-Mi, Brule-Moi” (from Act 1); (4) Seguidilla (from Act 1); and (5) “Les Tringles Des Sistres Tintaient” (from Act 2); in this final part, the tempo accelerates to an almost violent acceleration, not only for the orchestra itself, but also (most especially) for the violin soloist. Although a version of this work exists in a transcription for violin and piano, it is in the quasi-concerto form that it is usually heard, and it remains a hugely popular work, one that was partly responsible for keeping the opera whose themes it takes from in the forefront following Bizet’s untimely death. And it would not be the last time “Carmen” would be mined in this fashion; sixty-five years later, the German-American film composer Franz Waxman would create his own “Carmen Fantasy”, and it too would achieve a solid place in the repertoire.



Violin: ITZHAK PERLMAN

New York Philharmonic Orchestra/ZUBIN MEHTA (Deutsche Grammophon)

Included:
Saint-Saens: INTRODUCTION AND RONDO CAPRICCIOSO
Saint-Saens: HAVANAISE
Ravel: TZIGANE
Chausson: POEME FOR VIOLIN AND ORCHESTRA

[egoodstein]

Definitely a interesting, appealing work: an interesting 'chapter' in transcription/interpretation. And good point this helped keep Carmen in the forefront of audience attention after Bizet's death. I hadn't really thought of that.  Also, I think Sarasate's success built on Paganini, and influenced other successors,  like Kreisler and Ysaye, if their work is certainly quite a bit different; not to mention being something of a 'classical crossover' kind of thing that would appeal to general audiences and be challenging and appealing for violinists too. I like the piano/violin 'sonata' version too. Lots of late Romantic fun. Cool, offbeat choice .

[erik]

I think it is fairly safe to say that the Carmen Fantasy is probably Sarasate's most famous work (in large part because of his inventive way of integrating the important thematic material of Bizet's opera), and clearly designed to be a violin "workout" without being a full-blown concerto as such; the other works I have mentioned, some of which were written expressly for Sarasate, were also designed that way. Every violinist worth his/her salt likes to take on works of this sort at some point in their lives (Perlman most especially); and this can also be said of Waxman's own "Carmen Fantasy", which I plan on reviewing next weekend.