The piece is inspired by a popular music, zingara, and every harpist knows it very well, it contains one of the most difficult cadenzas in the repertoire and is often requested in auditions. The original was for violin and piano, the latter with the addition of an accessory called luthéal, which allowed to change different timbral registers by activating stops above the keyboard. In this way the sound seemed almost struck, plucked. This accessory then fell into disuse and Ravel’s great orchestration for violin and orchestra is now the most performed. In this transcription Ravel also adds the harp with great compositional mastery. What would happen if the violin together with the harp impersonated the two zingari?

The great chromaticity of the piece and its virtuosity (not only on the part of the violin!) make it a great challenge. So, I transcribed the score starting from the sound quality that Ravel could have imagined, without neglecting, however, a simplification of positions that could make it easier to perform, while preserving its spirit.