Pablo Sarasate across theory and practice: synthesising old and new sources

Crespo O'Donoghue, N. (2025) Pablo Sarasate across theory and practice: synthesising old and new sources. Doctoral thesis, Royal College of Music.

Abstract

Pablo de Sarasate is a renowned and respected violin figure, yet current research is primarily limited to biographical sources and the portrayal of his virtuosity. Sarasate’s skill as a violinist and his contribution to repertoire and performance practices must be acknowledged and understood. This two-part doctoral project is focused, therefore, on redefining our understanding of Pablo de Sarasate. Part One centres on providing new evidence and perspectives. It explores Sarasate’s repertoire and programming preferences, whilst also revealing a categorisation of his career development. It includes the first in-depth exploration of Otto Goldschmidt, Sarasate’s manager and piano accompanist, an essential figure in the development of Sarasate’s public identity and success. The first part concludes with an examination of Sarasate’s violins, which includes videos of my performances on his instruments, as well as the discovery and performance of a work found in Sarasate’s repertoire. Part Two focuses on a comprehensive interrogation of Sarasate as a violinist. It includes an exploration of his posture, sound, compositions and overall technique, from my own perspective as a violinist. Whilst this research expands current knowledge on Sarasate and contextualises the violinist within the nineteenth century, its larger goal is to highlight his importance in the development of violin performance practices. Additionally, this doctoral project provides new evidence, including documentary sources such as concert programmes and letters by Sarasate, which are interrogated for the first time through this work.

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