Bazzini La Rondes des Lutins op 25 for Violin and String Orchestra

Bazzini: La Ronde des Lutins, Op. 25 for Violin and String Orchestra

Bazzini's La Ronde des Lutins is considerably better known than its composer. Antonio Bazzini wrote a great deal of music, but this single piece has kept his name in concert programmes for nearly two centuries, and for good reason: it is one of the most concentrated and relentless displays of violin virtuosity ever written. Originally for violin and piano, this arrangement by Paul Wood sets the solo part against a string orchestra, providing a fuller, more dynamic backdrop to the piece's fantastical energy than the piano version typically achieves.

The solo writing sits at the extreme end of Diploma or Professional standard and makes no concessions. La Ronde des Lutins requires flying staccato and sautillé at considerable speed, left-hand pizzicato, natural and artificial harmonics, and the ability to sustain all of it across a piece that barely pauses for breath. The character is as important as the technique: the goblins of the title need to sound genuinely mischievous and light-footed, not merely fast, and the player who brings that sense of controlled chaos to the writing will make the piece considerably more effective than pure mechanical accuracy alone. This is repertoire for a violinist who is ready to show everything they have.

The string orchestra parts are rated as advanced rather than intermediate, and that rating is earned. The accompaniment needs to match the solo part's energy and precision throughout, and there are passages where ensemble tightness directly affects whether the piece sounds brilliant or merely busy. A well-prepared advanced string orchestra will find the writing exciting and idiomatic, but it demands the same level of focus from the ensemble as it does from the soloist.

At six minutes, La Ronde des Lutins is long enough to build real momentum and short enough to leave an audience wanting more. It is one of the most reliably effective encores in the violin repertoire and works equally well as a concert centrepiece.

Check the score and parts preview images above, then watch the complete score video below. They'll give you a clear picture of the engraving quality and overall difficulty before you buy.

Key features

• Instrumentation: Solo Violin + String Orchestra (Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello, Double Bass)
• Difficulty: Diploma / Professional (solo); Advanced (orchestra)
• Arranger: Paul Wood
• Duration: approximately 6 minutes
• Style focus: flying staccato, left-hand pizzicato, harmonics, sustained virtuosity
• Format: PDF download, full score and all parts

This arrangement suits professional and conservatoire recitals where a technically extreme showpiece with immediate audience impact is needed. It is a strong choice for advanced youth orchestras and county ensembles supporting a senior violinist ready to demonstrate the full range of their technique, and for competition or diploma programmes where a piece that genuinely stops the room is required.