Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

—
'
224 SARASATE SAEASATE
Coverley' is now danced), and the other,
'Adson'a Saraband,' to be danced 'longwayes
for six.' It was at about this time that the
Saraband, together with other dances, found
its way into the Suite, of which it formed the
slow movement, placed before the concluding
Gigue. In this form it is remarkable for its
strongly accentuated and majestic rhythm,
generally as follows :
It is written either in the major or the minor
key, in 3-2 or 3-4 time, although Walther
{Lexikon, 1732) says that it may be also written
in 2-4 time. It usually consists of two 8- or
12-bar divisions, begins on the down-beat, and
ends on the second or third beat. Bach, in the
' Olavieriibung,' Pt. I. (B.-G. iii. 76) has a
Saraband beginning on the up-beat, and Handel
(Suite XI.) has one with variations. Those by
Corelli do not conform to the established rules,
but are little more than SicUianas played slowly.
The following Saraband for the guitar is
printed in Fuertes' Historia de la Muswa
Handel's noble air 'Lascia ch'io pianga,' in
'Rinaldo,' is taken with no material alteration
from a Saraband in his earlier opera of ' Almira,
in which the majestic rhythm mentioned reigns
in all its dignity. See Chrysander's Ha-ndel,
i. 121. «'. B. s.
SARASATE. Pablo Maktin Mbhton db
Sarasate y Natascubs, born at Pampeluna,
March 10, 1844, came to France as a child,
and entered the Paris Conse>'vatoire, Jan. 1,
1856. The following year he became the favourite
pupil of Alard, and gained the first prizes for
solffege and violin. He then entered Eeber's
harmony class, and secured a premier accessit
in 1859, but shortly after relinquished the study
of composition for the more tempting career of
a concert player. His beautiful tone, retentive
memory, immense execution, and certainty of
finger, added to the singularity of his manners
and appearance, ensured his success in Paris,
the French provinces, and the Peninsula. The
Spaniards naturally honoured an artist whom
they looked upon as their own countryman, but
Sarasate aspired to make his name known wherever
music was appreciated, as well as in the
two countries especially his own by birth and
adoption. No violinist has travelled more than
he ; besides making his way through Europe,
from the remotest corner of Portugal to Norway,
and from London to Moscow, he has visited
America, North and South. In all his wanderings
he has contrived to carry on his cultivation,
and develop his great natural gifts. To London
his first visit was in 1861, when he played at
St. James's Hall on May 22 ; he came again in
1874, when he played at the Philharmonic
Concert, May 18, and at the Musical Union,
June 9, etc. He returned in 1877 (Crystal
Palace, Oct. 13), and 1878 (Philharmonic,
March 28), and has been a frequent visitor
since. In 1885 and 1886 he gave sets of.
orchestral concerts conducted by Cusins, and
at the Birmingham Festival of 1885 played a
concerto written for him by Mackenzie.
Sarasate's distinguishing characteristics are
not so much fire, force, and passion, though of
these he has an ample store, as purity of style,
charm, brightness of tone, flexibility, and extraordinary
facility. He sings on his instnunent
with taste and expression, and without that
exaggeration or affectation of sentiment which
disfigures the playing of many violinists. His
repertoire is varied, comprising the concertos of
German masters—Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and
Bruch,—Raff's various works for violin, and the
works of the modem French and Belgian schools.
Among the former his favourites are the concertos
of Saint-Saens and Lalo, and the Symphonic
Espagnole of the last-named composer. [He
has avoided the music of Paganini and his
followers, partly for want of taste for it, and
partly because of the long stretches required,
his hand being very small. Although Bsich, on
the whole, is unsuited to his style for obvious
reasons, he gives certain movements with great
charm, notably the prelude and gavotte from
the E major solo sonata. But he will always
be remembered for his rendering of the solos he
has written for himself, and plays so exquisitely,
giving the spirit of Spanish dance translated
into terms of the violin virtuoso. He possesses
two fine Stradivari violins, one of which, dated
1724, was presented to him when a boy by
Queen Isabella of Spain. This instrument was
one of those brought from the chapelle
royale
at Naples by Charles III. (for whom Bocoherini
composed his quintets), and upon it he has
mainly played throughout his career. A successful
copy of it was made by Vuillaume, and
is sometimes used by him at rehearsals. Later