TheIntroduction and Rondo Capricciosoin A minor (French:Introduction et Rondo capriccioso),Op.28, is a composition forviolinandorchestrawritten in1863byCamille Saint-Saëns.It was dedicated to thevirtuosoviolinistPablo de Sarasate,who performed the solo violin part at the premiere in April 1867.[1]
History
editTheIntroduction and Rondo Capricciosowas originally intended to be the rousing finale to Saint-Saëns'first violin concerto,Op. 20, though its success as a solo composition at its first performance led Saint-Saëns to publish it separately.[2]
The premiere took place on 4 April 1867 at the Champs-Élysées, withPablo de Sarasateplaying the solo part and the composer conducting.[1]
Several arrangements of the score have been made, including for violin and piano byGeorges Bizet,piano duet byJacques Durand,and two pianos byClaude Debussy.[1]
Instrumentation
editThe work is scored for solo violin, 2 flutes/piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets (or cornets), 3 timpani and strings.[1]
Style and structure
edit
The piece opens with a 36-bar theme in A minor, (although the initial tempo should be Andante malinconico) establishing key as well as rhythmic and harmonic themes. The orchestra supports the violin with block chord progressions while the soloist plays virtuosic arpeggios and chromatic scalar passages. Saint-Saëns destabilizes the rhythm of the soloist oscillating between syncopated rising arpeggios and falling eighth notes.[clarification needed]In bar 18 the motion picks up when the tempo indication changes from Andante malinconico to animato and the soloist jumps into a rapid thirty-second note line.
In popular culture
editThe 1939 filmThey Shall Have Musicfeatures a performance of the piece by the violin virtuosoJascha Heifetz.[3]
The work also features prominently in the light novel, manga and animeYour Lie in April.It is played in its violin and piano arrangement by the show’s two primary protagonists as part of a musical competition.[4][5]
References
edit- ^abcdRatner, Sabina Teller (2002).Camille Saint-Saëns, 1835–1922: A Thematic Catalogue of his Complete Works, Volume 1: The Instrumental Works.Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp.347–350.ISBN978-0-19-816320-6.
- ^Dandelot, Arthur (1930).La vie et l'oeuvre de Saint-Saëns.Paris. p. 49.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^"Cinema: New Picture: Aug. 7, 1939".Time.1939-08-07.ISSN0040-781X.Retrieved2024-03-28.
- ^Catherina, Jenelle (2021-12-25)."How Your Lie in April Uses Real-Life Classical Music to Tell Its Powerful Story".CBR.Retrieved2024-03-28.
- ^Peyo (2019-01-05)."Guide: A List of Music Pieces from" Your Lie in April "".Pastime Zone.Retrieved2024-03-28.
