The “Zapateado
de San Fermín” was written with the idea of making a musical
contribution (something ‘traditional’) to the fiestas of
San Fermín of Pamplona, describing some of the facets of this
very happy week. The composer, born in Great Britain but also with Spanish
nationality, has lived for a number of years in the Navarre region and
has first-hand experience of the festivities. It was also at the same
time a deliberate personal challenge to compose a work in the wake of
the tradition laid down by the famous Pamplona violinist Pablo Sarasate
(who himself was a ‘regular’ in San Fermín in his
own day). In this present work the violin is changed for the flute, with
the accompaniment of piano, although it can also work extremely effectively
with string orchestra. It is in ternary form and contains virtuoso passages
for the soloist. It was premiered by the Navarre flautist Roberto Casado,
to whom the work is dedicated.
