Today, I would like to share with you a wonderful short, light piece, “Introduction to Rondo,” by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921). Saint-Saëns originally intended this piece to be the conclusion for his violin concerto but then changed his mind and left it as a standalone composition for violin and orchestra.
This is one of the most popular and frequently performed pieces for violin, and I will share with you a number of performances by some of the biggest names in the violin world. However, before you listen to the violin performances, I recommend that you first listen to Georges Bizet’s (1838-1875) arrangement for two pianos. While it provides a great silhouette of this piece, it lacks the emotional punch that the violin brings to it, thus pointing up the great contrast between the emotional impact of the violin versus that of the piano. For fun – why not – I’ll add some cello, flute, and guitar arrangements.
Beautiful – thank you for putting these together. The flute was a pleasant surprise. My all time favorite rendition is by violinist Cho Liang Lin.