Ysaye Caprice d'apres l'Etude en forme de Valse for Violin and String Orchestra

Ysaÿe: Caprice d'après l'Étude en forme de valse (Arr. Violin and String Orchestra)

This piece has an unusual origin. Saint-Saëns's Étude en forme de valse, Op. 52 No. 6, is one of the most brilliant of his piano études: fast, sparkling, in a flowing 3/4 that has the elegance of a concert waltz without losing its technical drive. Ysaÿe took this étude as his starting point and built a caprice around it, elaborating the themes with the full resources of Romantic violin technique. The result belongs equally to both composers: Saint-Saëns's melodic and harmonic world, Ysaÿe's violinistic demands. This arrangement sets the original violin and orchestra version for solo violin and string orchestra.

Ysaÿe was writing for himself, and the technical demands reflect that. Fast arpeggios, demanding double stops, and high-position passage work throughout, all of it within a waltz that must keep its lilt and elegance. Losing the waltz in the virtuosity is the easiest mistake to make, and avoiding it is what separates a technically impressive performance from a musically convincing one.

The string orchestra provides the harmonic and rhythmic foundation the solo line needs, and in a waltz-based piece the orchestra's feel for the dance rhythm matters as much as the soloist's. The accompaniment is drawn from the original orchestral writing, adapted to work within the string ensemble's resources without diminishing the weight and colour the piece requires.

At eight minutes, it is substantial enough to anchor a recital half and demanding enough to serve as a centrepiece rather than a supporting item.

See and hear the difference

Check the score and parts preview images above, then watch the complete score video below. They'll give you a clear sense of the engraving quality, orchestral balance, 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)
• Duration: approximately 8 minutes
• Style focus: waltz character, arpeggios, double stops, high-position virtuosity
• Original basis: Saint-Saëns's Étude en forme de valse, Op. 52 No. 6, elaborated by Ysaÿe
• Format: PDF download, full score and all parts

Who it's for

This suits professional and conservatoire recitals where a substantial, high-impact showpiece is needed, particularly one with an unusual backstory that rewards programme note discussion. It works well alongside Romantic concertos and other French or Belgian repertoire, and for competition or diploma programmes where something technically demanding but less frequently heard is an advantage.