| The "Zapateado de San Fermín" was written with the idea of making a musical contribution (something 'traditional') 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 virtuoso influence of Sarasate's violin is changed for Cello and Piano, although cellists should also note that it can also work extremely effectively as a soloist piece with string orchestra accompaniment (the orchestral parts are exactly the same as in the Violin/Orchestra version, as is virtually the conductor score). It is in ternary form and contains many virtuoso passages for the soloist, with a generally rhythmic contribution from the piano which does never-the-less occasionally share some of the interesting melodic material. Dedicated to Javier Navascués Allué, excellent Spanish Navarre cellist. |