SARASATE, PABLO DE. (1844-1908). Spanish violin virtuoso and composer of pieces for the violin. SP. (“Pablo de Sarasate”). 1p. Folio (11”x16”). N.p., October 26, 1899. To Max S [?]. A lovely full-length photograph of Sarasate, holding one of his Stradivarius violins and bow, with a five-measure quotation from his Introduction et Caprice Jota in the upper left portion of the image inscribed in French to his student, the Jewish-Dutch violinist Max Mossel (1871-1929), “With affectionate remembrances.”

A child prodigy, Sarasate became world famous after a series of concert tours in the late 1850s. His “playing was distinguished by a tone of unsurpassed sweetness and purity, coloured by a vibrato somewhat broader than usual at that time and produced with a ‘frictionless’ bow stroke,” (The New Grove Dictionary). Saint-Saëns, Dvorák and Max Bruch all composed music for him, and his own composition, Zigeunerweisen, a popular gypsy style fantasy composed in 1878, is “still an indispensable item in the virtuoso repertory,” (ibid.). Sarasate composed his Introduction et Caprice Jota Op. 41 for violin and orchestra in 1899, the year of our photograph.

Mounted to the original board with some loss along the right, left and upper edges, somewhat affecting the appearance, which could be matted out. In very good condition. Very rare in this format.