Aragonaise, from Le Cid (string quartet)

Title: Aragonaise, from the opera Le Cid

Composer: Jules Massenet, arr. David Gable

Instrumentation: Violin 1; Violin 2; Viola; Cello

Printout: 8 pages

Note: This effervescent Spanish dance is a highlight of Massenet’s opera, Le Cid. The first violin part climbs into the upper register, but the piece is so appealing that the extra effort is worthwhile. The viola picks up the theme when it moves into the lower register. This arrangement is sufficiently virtuosic in character to be used as informal concert music.