Paganini: 24 Caprices

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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:

NICOLÒ PAGANINI (1782–1840)

24 Caprices for Violin Solo op. 1

LP 1 – SIDE A

              Caprice No. 1 in E major. Andante

              Caprice No. 2 in B minor. Moderato

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

              Caprice No. 4 in C minor. Maestoso

              Caprice No. 5 in A minor. Agitato

LP 1 – SIDE B

              Caprice No. 6 in G minor. Lento

              Caprice No. 7 in A minor. Posato

              Caprice No. 8 in E flat major. Maestoso

              Caprice No. 9 in E major. Allegretto

              Caprice No. 10 in G minor. Vivace

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

LP 2 – SIDE A

              Caprice No. 12 in A flat major. Allegro

              Caprice No. 13 in B flat major. Allegro

              Caprice No. 14 in E flat major. Moderato

              Caprice No. 15 in E minor. Posato

              Caprice No. 16 in G minor. Presto

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

              Caprice No. 18 in C major. Corrente

LP 2 – SIDE B

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

              Caprice No. 20 in D major. Allegretto

              Caprice No. 21 in A major. Amoroso

              Caprice No. 22 in F major. Marcato

              Caprice No. 23 in E flat major. Posato

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

CD

PABLO DE SARASATE (1844–1908)

1 Caprice basque op. 24

for violin and piano

FRITZ KREISLER (1875–1962)

2 Recitativo & Scherzo-Caprice op. 6

for violin solo

FRITZ KREISLER

3 Caprice viennois op. 2

arr. For violin and guitar by Antoine Fougeray

JORDI CERVELLÓ (1935–2022)

4 Milstein Caprice

for violin solo

HENRYK WIENIAWSKI (1835–1880)

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

for 2 violins

GABRIELA ORTIZ (*1964)

6 De cuerda y madera

Capriccio for violin and piano

World premiere recording

CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS (1835–1921)

7 Caprice andalous op. 122

for violin and orchestra

HECTOR BERLIOZ (1803–1869)

8 Rêverie & Caprice op. 8

for violin and orchestra

CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS

9 Introduction & Rondo capriccioso op. 28

for violin and orchestra