Eimi Wakui｜Saint-Saëns: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, op.28

French composer Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) composed this work for violin and orchestra in 1863, when he was 28 years old.
It was written for his close friend, the famous Spanish violinist Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908), and premiered the following year, 1864, with Saint-Saëns conducting and Sarasate as soloist. It was subsequently arranged for piano accompaniment by Georges Bizet (1838-1875) and for two pianos by Claude Debussy (1862-1918).

The piece consists of two parts, the 'Introduction' and the 'Rondo'. The andante introduction, marked 'melancholy', is sung slowly and melancholy in the style of gypsy music, with Sarasate in mind. The rondo capricioso section is a flamboyant rondo, increasing the tempo to an Allegro non troppo and performing difficult techniques: the main theme descends rhythmically over two octaves, and in the middle a crisp six-eighths time signature takes over from the rondo theme. After a cadenza-like passage, the tempo picks up again, leading to a festive and spectacular conclusion with festive virtuosity.

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