Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908), undoubtedly, is one of the most important and most successful violin virtuosos of the second half of the 19th century and has become immortal through his virtuoso and highly expressive bravura pieces in the world of violin playing. His concert programme mostly consisted of his own compositions, even if quite a few works had been dedicated to him by fellow composers and tailor-made for him: for example, 'Symphonie espagnole' by Lalo, 'Scottish Fantasia' by Bruch and violin works by Saint-Saëns and Wieniawski. Apart from works of his own, Sarasate also arranged other works for his own use, such as the two 'Nocturnes' by Frédéric Chopin. To pianists, it may seem like sacrilege to arrange such masterpieces but Sarasate wanted to subscribe some of the most beautiful and most tender melodies to the violin which he saw primarily as a vocal instrument. Or he might have regretted that Chopin had not written any original work for violin and piano ? but here's Sarasate's arrangement to make up for this lack.
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