By Sam Miller | March 1, 2026

Originally called Jalousie – Tango Tzigane, this work by Jacob Gade is one of, if not the most, performed pieces of Danish music. Gade, born in the scenic city of Velje in 1879, was a fairly successful violinist. He played different gigs around Copenhagen until moving to the US in 1919. Gade returned to Denmark only two years after, but this is not to say he did not have success in the states. In fact, he won an audition for a seat as well as played in the orchestra that would eventually become the New York Philharmonic. However, upon returning to Copenhagen, he would be appointed as conductor at the Palads Theatre. It would be here that he composed Tango Jalousie, but he could never imagine the fame it would garner (“100 Years of Jalousie”).

Composed in the mid to late 1810s (the true date is unknown), Paganini’s 1st violin concerto is considered one of the most technically challenging concertos in the violin repertoire. This is one of the pieces that undoubtedly contributed to the superstition that Paganini had sold his soul to the devil in return for ungodly (see what I did there~~~) skill on the violin. Also contributing to this theory was his “gaunt appearance” and reputation for being quite the lady’s man. In contrast, however, many Italians instead compared him to great hero’s of old like Hercules or Vergil. Needless to say, Paganini’s reputation preceded him, and his virtuosity was unmatched. However, Paganini’s focus on virtuosity and “fireworks” does not mean that he couldn’t write beautiful and memorable melodies. His 1st violin concerto is an excellent example of this. Despite being a solo for the violin, it plays much like an opera. The orchestra sings and supports the violin throughout. This is because, “the soloist assumes the role of a mythic hero, overcoming seemingly impossible technical challenges…just as Hercules executes his labors by virtue of his superhuman strength” (I read this in an article by the Houston Symphony, and I absolutely love this idea. I never thought of it that way, but it makes complete sense).

Samuel “Sam” Miller is a 12th grade student at Gonzaga Preparatory school who writes and distributes a weekly classical music blog that shares different classical songs and explores their background with his teachers and peers. He is an avid violinist studying under Mateusz Wolski, and an enthusiastic member of the Spokane Youth Symphony. Samuel started this project to pursue and share his passion for classical music with others. In his free time, Sam enjoys practicing violin, going to symphony concerts, playing tennis, hanging out with friends, video games, and spending time with his family.