Arr: Petru Iuga

Spanish violin virtuoso and composer Pablo de Sarasate was born in Pamplona on 10 March 1844. He performed throughout the world as a soloist and many of his compositions are celebrated show-pieces designed to demonstrate his flawless technique. He employed Spanish styles and idioms in many of his works, which also influenced the music of his contemporaries, and was the dedicatée of compositions by Wieniawski, Lalo, Saint-Saëns and Max Bruch. Sarasate died in Biarritz (France) on 20 September 1908. Zigeunerweisen (Gipsy Songs) Op.20 was composed in 1878 and is his most performed work. Originally for violin and orchestra, it was premiered that year in Leipzig, and is in one extended movement, in four clearly defined sections, making use of popular Gipsy songs of the day and ending with a lively and vibrant czardas. Zigeunerweisen is a virtuosic showpiece for the violin and even more so for the double bass. Petru Iuga's transcription for double bass and piano is a tour de force and demonstrates the solo possibilities of the double bass in the 21st century. Zigeunerweisen is available in printed editions for solo and orchestral tunings and also as pdf files. Please contact doublebass@tiscali.co.uk for more details.