La Bella Cubana

Joseph (José) White Lafitte studied violin and composition at the Paris Conservatory between 1855 and 1871, winning the 1856 First Grand Prize. He eventually became a French citizen in 1870, leaving Paris only for a period of time between 1877 to 1889 when he was director of the Imperial Conservatory in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. White composed mainly for his own instrument, which happened to be the famous 1737 "Swansong" Stradivari violin. In addition to numerous etudes and a virtuosic violin concerto, White wrote this habanera for two violins, La Bella Cubana. In this string orchestra arrangement, the lyrical melodic solos are spread throughout the orchestra. Traditional Cuban dance rhythms in the contrasting middle theme capture the vibrant joy of the original work.