Paganini: 24 Caprices

Following her award-winning debut (“A spectacular launch to a recording career” – Gramophone Magazine), Spanish violinist María Dueñas presents her second album for Deutsche Grammophon. Center stage take the legendary 24 Caprices by Niccolò Paganini, famous as one of the most demanding works ever written for the violin. “Paganini’s 24 Caprices are a milestone for every violinist,” states Dueñas. The cycle known for its breathtaking finesse and virtuosity, is also characterized by its musical variety and depth. Dueñas seeks to “show the vocal quality in the Caprices”, in order “to reveal the music behind the technique”. The album is complemented by a mixture of solo, chamber and orchestral caprices inspired by Paganini. These include selected pieces by Berlioz, Kreisler, Saint-Saëns, Sarasate, Wieniawski as well as two works written specially for Dueñas by contemporary composers Jordi Cervelló and Gabriela Ortiz, the latter in a world premiere recording. Dueñas is accompanied by violinist Boris Kuschnir, pianists Itamar Golan and Alexander Malofeev and guitarist Raphaël Feuillâtre. For the orchestral works by Berlioz and Saint-Saëns, she is supported by Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under conductor Mihhail Gerts. “A caprice offers a huge range of colors and dynamics and there’s also a sense of improvisation,” comments Dueñas. “It means more than technical fireworks. It’s about rhapsodic freedom, color and creativity – everything that helps to make the violin such a bewitching instrument.”

Tracklist:

CD 1

NICOLÒ PAGANINI (1782–1840)

24 Caprices for Violin Solo op. 1

             1 Caprice No. 1 in E major. Andante

             2 Caprice No. 2 in B minor. Moderato

             3 Caprice No. 3 in E minor. Sostenuto – Presto – Sostenuto

             4 Caprice No. 4 in C minor. Maestoso

             5 Caprice No. 5 in A minor. Agitato

             6 Caprice No. 6 in G minor. Lento

             7 Caprice No. 7 in A minor. Posato

             8 Caprice No. 8 in E flat major. Maestoso

             9 Caprice No. 9 in E major. Allegretto

             10 Caprice No. 10 in G minor. Vivace

             11 Caprice No. 11 in C major. Andante – Presto – Tempo I

             12 Caprice No. 12 in A flat major. Allegro

             13 Caprice No. 13 in B flat major. Allegro

             14 Caprice No. 14 in E flat major. Moderato

             15 Caprice No. 15 in E minor. Posato

             16 Caprice No. 16 in G minor. Presto

             17 Caprice No. 17 in E flat major. Sostenuto – Andante

             18 Caprice No. 18 in C major. Corrente

             19 Caprice No. 19 in E flat major. Lento – Allegro assai

             20 Caprice No. 20 in D major. Allegretto

CD 2

             1 Caprice No. 21 in A major. Amoroso

             2 Caprice No. 22 in F major. Marcato

             3 Caprice No. 23 in E flat major. Posato

             4 Caprice No. 24 in A minor. Tema. Quasi Presto – Variazioni – Finale

PABLO DE SARASATE (1844–1908)

5 Caprice basque op. 24

for violin and piano

JORDI CERVELLÓ (1935–2022)

6 Milstein Caprice

for violin solo

HENRYK WIENIAWSKI (1835–1880)

7 Étude-Caprice in E flat major op. 18/2

for 2 violins

GABRIELA ORTIZ (*1964)

8 De cuerda y madera

Capriccio for violin and piano

World premiere recording

CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS (1835–1921)

9 Caprice andalous op. 122

for violin and orchestra

HECTOR BERLIOZ (1803–1869)

10 Rêverie & Caprice op. 8

for violin and orchestra

CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS

11 Introduction & Rondo capriccioso op. 28

for violin and orchestra