- White Lafitte composed this concerto in 1864, during one of the periods in his life when he was based in Paris.1
- During 1861-74, he was active as a soloist and chamber player, and was a member of the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, an orchestra made up of faculty and students of the Paris Conservatory.
- The concerto premiered in Paris in 1867, with White Lafitte as the soloist.2
“…One of the best modern works of its kind…The fabric is excellent, the basic thematic ideas are carefully distinguished, the harmonies are elegant and clear, and the orchestration is written by a secure hand, free from error. One feels the presence of a strong and individual nature from the start. Not a single note exists for mere virtuosity, although the performance difficulties are enormous.”
A contemporary critic, after the premiere of White Lafitte’s Violin Concerto in f-sharp minor3
Sources
- Aurelio de la Vega, “White Lafitte, José,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed August 6, 2021, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000030221.
- Mark Clague, “From Commodity to Creator: The Search for Social Equality through Cultural Virtuosity,” liner notes to Violin Concertos by Black Composers of the 18th and 19th Centuries, Rachel Barton, Encore Chamber Orchestra, Daniel Hege, Cedille 90000 035, CD, 1997.
- Quoted in Ibid.
Cut IDs
21326