Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs), Op.20 for violin and piano (Francescatti); Pablo de Sarasate

Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs), Op.20 for violin and piano by Pablo de Sarasate

Edited by Zino Francescatti. Published by International.

Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908) was a legendary Spanish virtuoso violinist. A child prodigy, he studied with Jean-Jacques Alard at the Paris Conservatory. His peerless technical prowess and purity of tone gained him widespread acclaim in Europe and the Americas, and several leading composers of the day wrote substantial pieces for him, including Wieniawski, Lalo, Saint-Saens, and Bruch. He himself wrote many virtuosic show pieces for himself to perform, many of which have become repertory standards.

Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs), Op.20 (1878) is a violin showpiece based on Hungarian folk music; like most of his contemporaries, he was responding to public clamor for exotic music and conflated Hungarian music with the music of the Romani people. The showpiece itself is noted for its dazzling virtuosity and sensuous melody. It has since become his most popular work and is a repertory standard. Advanced level, Grade 5.