Born in Pamplona, March 10, 1844
Died in Biarritz, Sept 20, 1908
- Sarasate was a Spanish violin virtuoso who possessed one of the greatest techniques in Europe.
- Numerous composers wrote pieces for Sarasate, including Bruch (Scottish Fantasy and Violin Concerto), Saint-Saëns (violin concertos 1 & 3), Lalo (Concerto in F minor and Symphonie espagnole) and Dvořák (Mazurek op.49).
- Sarasate made several recordings in 1904, so he’s a 19th C. virtuoso whose playing we can listen to today.1
- Fun Facts about Sarasate: he was so famous that he made several appearances in the arts of his day.
- James Abbott McNeill Whistler painted Sarasate in his Arrangement in Black (1884).
- In “The Red-Headed League” from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892) by Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes and Watson attend a recital by Sarasate.
Sources
- Boris Schwarz and Robin Stowell, “Sarasate (y Navascuéz), Pablo (Martín Melitón) de,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed January 21, 2020, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000024582.