María Dueñas: Paganini: 24 Caprices — Caprices by Berlioz, Cervelló, Kreisler, Ortiz, Saint-Saëns, Sarasate, Wieniawski 2LP

María Dueñas finds the perfect balance between artistry and technique as she tackles an icon of the repertoire for her second Deutsche Grammophon album. Having earned rave reviews and a 2024 OPUS KLASSIK Young Talent of the Year award for her DG debut, Beethoven and Beyond, the Spanish violinist now turns to Paganini’s legendary 24 Caprices. She couples these with a selection of later works inspired by Paganini, presenting music by composers ranging from Berlioz to Gabriela Ortiz. Dueñas is joined in chamber pieces by Boris Kuschnir, pianists Itamar Golan and Alexander Malofeev and guitarist Raphaël Feuillâtre, and in orchestral caprices by the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin conducted by Mihhail Gerts.

Tracklist:

LP 1

Side A

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

Side B

1. Caprice No. 6 in G minor. Lento
2. Caprice No. 7 in A minor. Posato
3. Caprice No. 8 in E flat major. Maestoso
4. Caprice No. 9 in E major. Allegretto
5. Caprice No. 10 in G minor. Vivace
6. Caprice No. 11 in C major. Andante – Presto – Tempo I

LP 2

Side C

1. Caprice No. 12 in A flat major. Allegro
2. Caprice No. 13 in B flat major. Allegro
3. Caprice No. 14 in E flat major. Moderato
4. Caprice No. 15 in E minor. Posato
5. Caprice No. 16 in G minor. Presto
6. Caprice No. 17 in E flat major. Sostenuto – Andante
7. Caprice No. 18 in C major. Corrente

Side D

1. Caprice No. 19 in E flat major. Lento – Allegro assai
2. Caprice No. 20 in D major. Allegretto
3. Caprice No. 21 in A major. Amoroso
4. Caprice No. 22 in F major. Marcato
5. Caprice No. 23 in E flat major. Posato
6. 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)
3. Caprice viennois op. 2 (arr. for violin and guitar by Antoine Fougeray)
    4. I. Allegro molto moderato
    5. II. Andante con moto
    6. III. Presto
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)