Sarasate y Navascues, Pablo Martin Melitón

Born Mar. 10, 1844, in Pamplona; died Sept. 20, 1908, in Biarritz. Spanish violinist and composer.

Sarasate, who studied at the Paris Conservatory with the violinist D. Alard, was only a child when he gave his first recitals. From the early 1860’s he toured many countries, including Russia, which he first visited in 1876. He was one of the world’s greatest violin virtuosos, distinguished for his extraordinarily light technique, his singing tone, and elegant style. Sarasate popularized contemporary violin works, many of which were written for and dedicated to him, including E. Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole, as well as C. Saint-Saëns’ Introduction et rondo capriccioso and Concerto No. 3.

Sarasate wrote pieces for violin and piano, of which the most famous are Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Melodies) and the Spanish Dances (12 books).