Características
María Dueñas Fernández was born in Granada on December 4, 2002. In 2021, she won first prize in the senior category of the Yehudi Menuhin Competition and has since been considered one of the most promising musicians of her generation. In 2022, she signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon. Following her award-winning debut (“A spectacular start to a recording career” – Gramophone Magazine), the Spanish violinist presents her second album, which is now being released for the first time as a high-resolution UHQ double CD thanks to Deutsche Grammophon and Universal Music Japan. The centerpiece of this brilliant recording is the legendary 24 Caprices of 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,” says Dueñas. The cycle is known for its breathtaking finesse and virtuosity, and at the same time is characterized by its musical diversity and depth. In order to also ‘bring out the song-like quality of the Caprices,’ Dueñas' aim is to ”allow the music to shine through the technique.” The album is rounded off with a mixture of solo, chamber music and orchestral caprices inspired by the devilish violinist Paganini. These include selected pieces by Berlioz, Saint-Saëns, Sarasate and Wieniawski, as well as two works by contemporary composers Jordi Cervelló and Gabriela Ortiz, the latter of which was written specially for Dueñas – the first recording of the piece in the world. 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 the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and conductor Mihhail Gerts. “A caprice offers a wide range of colors and dynamics, and improvisation is also part of it. It's about more than just technical fireworks. It's about rhapsodic freedom, color, creativity, everything that makes the violin such an enchanting instrument,” says María Dueñas.
UHQCD 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)
UHQCD 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)
5. Sarasate: Caprice Basque
6. Cervelló: Milstein Caprice
7. Wieniawski: Étude-Caprice
8. Ortiz: De Cuerda Y Madera Capriccio
9. Saint-Saëns: Caprice Andalous
10. Berlioz: Rêverie & Caprice
11. Saint-Saëns: Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso