This album, recorded in 1974, features four concertante works inspired by 'exotic' music but presented in a Western style.
Composition History
Camille Saint-Saëns, a virtuoso pianist, consulted his friend Pablo de Sarasate, a Spanish violinist and the dedicatee of the work, for the violin part of his Introduction et Rondo capriccioso.
Compositional Technique
Saint-Saëns's Havanaise is based on the rhythm of the habanera, a Cuban dance that was very popular in Europe.
Historical Context
The combination of concertante genre and the theme of foreign travel became fashionable in France after Berlioz's Harold en Italie premiered in 1834.
Performer Biography
Itzhak Perlman has recorded each of the four works on this album at least twice, and Tzigane three times, demonstrating his deep affection for this repertoire.
Performer Biography
Itzhak Perlman, the violinist on this recording, has regularly enriched his recorded catalogue with works by French composers since 1968.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Some musicologists note that French composers, including those on this album, showed a particular talent for evoking musical atmospheres of places they had never visited.
