Vieuxtemps was a towering figure in the long line of master 19th-century violinistcomposers, from Viotti, Rode, Bériot and Paganini to Wieniawski, Kreisler and Ysaÿe, and one of the first to use the full Romantic orchestral palette in the composition of works with soloist. Composed during his Russian sojourn, the ornate and virtuosic Fantasia appassionata reaches a fast and furious conclusion, as does the wistful yet dignified Ballade et Polonaise. Yankee Doodle and The Star-Spangled Banner are quoted to great effect in Greeting to America.