Other early editions: violin and piano (Rahter, December 1887, plate 2762, arr. Kühns); orchestrated by Yuriy Leonovich as part of the Popperiana Suite

David Popper composed three Tarantellas (Opp. 33, 57, and 64, No. 2). His first Tarantella in G major, Op. 33 remains a staple of the cello repertoire and is often studied by students in their teenage years. The other two works, however, are frequently overlooked. Zweite Tarantella, Op. 57, dedicated to the cellist-composer Hugo Becker (1863–1941), is a witty and spirited piece representative of Popper’s later style. Harmonically adventurous, it displays the same coloristic richness and bold modulations found in Im Walde and Jagdstück.

The Zweite Tarantella was published by D. Rahter in 1885 (plates 2551.2762) and is written in ternary form. The outer sections are in D major, while the middle section moves through several keys, including D-flat and A major. Unlike its predecessor in G major, this Tarantella lends itself naturally to a slightly slower tempo. An early transcription for violin and piano by Emil Kühns was published in 1887, suggesting that Rahter anticipated a broad appeal for the work, though its popularity has since waned. The piece has been recorded professionally by Japanese cellist Yutaka Hayashi and pianist Satoshi Inagaki.

(Excerpted from the preface of the Urtext edition by Yuriy Leonovich)