Composer

:

Edison Denisov

Genre

:

Concerto

Style

:

Concerto

Average_duration

:

17:53

Edison Denisov's "Paganini Caprices (5)" is a set of five caprices for solo violin, composed in 1978. The work was premiered in Moscow in the same year by the violinist Viktor Pikaizen. The five movements of the work are based on themes from Niccolò Paganini's 24 Caprices for Solo Violin. However, Denisov's treatment of these themes is highly original and often quite abstract. The first movement, for example, is a set of variations on Paganini's Caprice No. 1, but the variations are highly fragmented and often dissonant, with the original theme only occasionally recognizable. The second movement is based on Paganini's Caprice No. 5, but again, Denisov's treatment of the theme is highly fragmented and dissonant. The third movement is a set of variations on Paganini's Caprice No. 9, but this time the variations are more lyrical and melodic, with the original theme more clearly recognizable. The fourth movement is based on Paganini's Caprice No. 16, but again, Denisov's treatment of the theme is highly fragmented and dissonant, with the original theme only occasionally recognizable. The final movement is a set of variations on Paganini's Caprice No. 24, but this time the variations are highly virtuosic and often quite frenzied, with the original theme only occasionally recognizable. Overall, Denisov's "Paganini Caprices (5)" is a highly challenging work for the solo violinist, requiring great technical skill and a willingness to explore the more abstract and dissonant aspects of the violin's sound. However, for those willing to take on the challenge, the work offers a fascinating and highly original take on Paganini's famous themes.

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