# Lalo Symphonie espagnole



## Joachim Raff (Jan 31, 2020)

*The Symphonie espagnole in D minor, Op. 21, is a work for violin and orchestra by Édouard Lalo.*

The work was written in 1874 for violinist Pablo Sarasate, and premiered in Paris in February 1875.
Although called a "Spanish Symphony", it is considered a violin concerto by musicians today. The piece has Spanish motifs throughout, and launched a period when Spanish-themed music came into vogue. (Georges Bizet's opera Carmen premiered a month after the Symphonie espagnole.)
The Symphonie espagnole is one of Lalo's two most often played works, the other being his Cello Concerto in D minor.

I would love to hear your views on how you rate this concerto. Good, bad or ugly?
Your experiences, feelings about interpretations, concerts, recordings.
I have my preferences and my opinions. I do rate this VC in my top ten. Better than Saint-Saens, maybe not, but still very good.


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## Joachim Raff (Jan 31, 2020)

My recorded choices for the Concerto are as follows:
#1









#2


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

I love this piece. Lots of enjoyable recordings, but this Oistrakh/Martinon is particularly great:


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Heifetz is amazing but unfortunately cuts one movement


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

DavidA said:


> Heifetz is amazing but unfortunately cuts one movement


If I remember correctly, all of Leopold Auer's pupils play the four movement version.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Lalo had already composed a violin concerto one year earlier (opus 20). As he preferred to call his next work for violin and orchestra a symphony, I assume he did not consider it a violin concerto. It's a fun piece, but even if we would call it a violin concerto, I would not put it in my personal top 20 of that genre, and probably not in the top 30.


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

My first choice, on lp...Francescatti/Mitropoulos/N.Y. Philharmonic.


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## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

An old favorite, Szeryng, Hendl, Chicago Symphony.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Joachim Raff said:


> My recorded choices for the Concerto are as follows:
> #1
> 
> View attachment 131956
> ...


I'm with you 100% on the Ozawa. My fave too.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

This is the version I have.


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