| The "Zapateado de San Fermín" was written with the idea of making a kind of ‘traditional’ musical contribution to the fiestas of San Fermín of Pamplona, describing some of the facets of this very happy week. The composer, born in Great Britain but also with Spanish nationality, has lived for a number of years in the Navarre region and has first-hand experience of the festivities. It was also at the same time a deliberate personal challenge to compose a work in the wake of the tradition laid down by the famous Pamplona violinist Pablo Sarasate (who himself was a ‘regular’ in San Fermín in his own day). In this present work the violin is also the featured soloist, with the accompaniment of piano, although it can also work extremely effectively with string orchestra. It is in ternary form and contains virtuoso passages for the soloist. The composer dedicates the piece to his friend, the Navarre violinist Fermín Ansó. |