The works on this release represent some of the finest for the violin to emerge from the French violin tradition, a tradition that stretches back some four centuries. From Louis XIII's 24 Violins du roi of 1626, through Lully and Leclair in the 18th century, and Rode, Kreutzer, de Beriot, Lalo, Vieuxtemps and Saint-Saens in the 19th. Lalo's evergreen Symphonie Espagnole reflects his Spanish ancestry, and it is thought that he consulted the great Spanish virtuoso Pablo Sarasate during the composition of the work. It is a clever blend of symphony and concerto, Spanish color, French effervescence and Germanic structure.