“Every gesture is available to every human at any time”
George Rochberg (1918-2005)
Concord String Quartet working with George Rochberg
I have explored Rochberg’s original flute works in two volumes of recorded music on Naxos Records, but his Caprice Variations have long been a subject of fascination for me. This publication is my transcription of the original 1970 collection for solo violin. Entirely based on the theme of Niccolò Paganini’s 24th Caprice, these masterful pieces demonstrate the stylistic compositional variety for which Mr. Rochberg was known. In these pieces we hear clear homages to Bach, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Bartok, and Schoenberg. Flutists have a long tradition of borrowing from the violin repertoire; in a similar vein to this project, the 24 Caprices by Paganini have been transcribed by countless flutists from John Wummer to Claire Chase. We dive into this repertoire to play great works with virtuosic flair, to learn new techniques and stretch our own capacity, and most of all to have a little fun!
