Violin prodigy from new York (romanian jewish family)
Played Carnegie Hall at the age of 13
His most famous recordings are of Paganini
(e.g.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8_atIRcuDg)
But suddenly and mysteriously stopped recording after 1959.
He kept performing, but was bothered by emotional, psychological, and physical struggles
One of his issues was reportedly a phobia of falling off the stage
At the age of 35, he actually died in a tragic fall
Not from a stage, but in his apartment
Sarasate’s Zapateado (tap dance) is part of his Spanish dances series
And offers plenty of room for the virtuoso to strut his stuff
Plus an accessible melody for those of us not steeped in orchestral or chamber music
This is from 1880
Sarasate was a child prodigy himself, but may have made a more successful transition to adult virtuoso (and composer)
He lived to 64
He’s not the most famous of the romantics, but seems to be particularly revered by the violin masters
In The Red Headed League, Homes and Watson go to a Sarasate concert to kill some time
Sarasate and Rabin came from accomplished musician families, but they both surpassed their fathers early
Sarasate went on to tour all over (including Argentina) and was one of the most famous violinists in the world in the late 19th century
His ostentatious music fell out of favor during the 20th century, but he’s had something of a revival more recently
Challenge!
