Introduction et Rondo capriccioso

This highly virtuosic concert piece, composed in 1863, is one of the works that Saint-Saëns wrote especially for his friend Pablo de Sarasate. The great violin virtuosos of the 19th century delighted their audiences with it – first the dedicatee himself, then later, most notably, Eugène Ysaÿe. “It’s a kind of fantasy waltz in the Spanish manner, enchanting in its effect”, wrote a music critic back in 1876. Today, this work is in the repertoire of all the great violinists.
The Henle Urtext edition is the first-ever critical edition of this work. The solo part has been annotated by Augustin Hadelich.