Lalo, Symphonie espagnol
It seems that some of the best Spanish music, or more accurately some of the best-known, was written by French composers. Bizet’s Carmen may be the best example, but there is also Ravel’s Rhapsodie espagnol, Debussy’s Ibéria, and today’s featured work Symphonie espagnol by Édouard Lalo (1823-1892).
Music of Spain has elements of exoticism owing to centuries of Islamic rule, and that exoticism sparked the imagination of composers from other European countries much as elements of Turkish music became popular in Classical Vienna. But the Spaniard composer and violinist Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908) is largely responsible for the popularization of Spanish music in 19th-century France. Trained at the Paris Conservatory, Sarasate managed to blend some of the best qualities of French and Spanish styles.
Lalo was of Spanish descent, but he was born in Lille, lived his entire life in France, and was a leading figure in Parisian musical circles. His Symphonie espagnol was written for Sarasate, who played the premiere in 1875 (the same year that Carmen was first performed). Although labeled a symphony, the work is in the form of a five-movement violin concerto. Lalo is so identified with this work, and the work is such a mainstay in the violin repertoire, that it is often referred to simply as “the Lalo.”
The violinist in this performance, Augustin Hadelich, was seriously injured in a fire as a teenager, but that is merely a footnote to his impressive biography.