The evolution of the caprice for solo violin with reference to the caprices by Locatelli, Paganini and Reitz
Melinda Suat-Lee Stocker · The University of Queensland · 2005
The idea of researching the history of the caprice and its effect on violin technique wasnstimulated by being introduced to the 12 Caprices for Violin solo (Zurich, 1972) by thenSwiss composer, Heiner Reitz (1925- ). His caprices sparked a curiosity to research thendevelopment of this genre from its origins to the present day.' During this investigation itnwas found that two composers have had considerable influence, namely, Pietro AntonionLocatelli (1695-1764) and Niccolo Paganini (1782-1840), both of whom wrote sets of24ncaprices, published in Amsterdam in 1733 and in Milan in 1820, respectively. Locatelli'sn24 Capricci have not been as widely acknowledged as the 24 Capricci by Paganini, evennthough Locatelli's caprices contributed strongly both to the development of the capricenfor solo violin and to violin technique.nnnnnnnnnnn To this day only a few books and other resources are available on the history of thencaprice, and even some definitions of the form found in dictionaries remain unclear. Thenpaucity of materials prompted this study in order to explore and highlight the history andnachievements of the caprice genre. This critical commentary does not undertake ancomplete history of the caprice; instead the genre is explored through the repertoire fornsolo violin. The thesis is structured chronologically, with detailed examination of solonviolin caprices, as exemplified by the 24 Capricci by Locatelli, the 24 Capricci bynPaganini and the 12 Caprices for Violin solo by Reitz.nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn Chapter I intends to provide a short discussion of the early stages of the caprice bynexamining several definitions and listing a few of the earliest caprices. This will providena basic background for the following three chapters. Chapter 2 examines the confusionnbetween the caprice and the cadenza, before introducing Locatelli's 24 Capricci. The significance of these works for the development of the caprice for solo violin and violinntechnique will be explored.nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn Chapter 3 investigates the pedagogical function of the caprice, which resulted in a closenrelationship between the caprice and the etude. Paganini's 24 Capricci will be discussednand partly examined in reference to the caprices by Locatelli in order to show the latterncomposer's influence and then to distinguish other technical innovations by Paganini thatnhave enriched violin technique. Chapter 4 explores the twentieth-century caprice for solonviolin with particular reference to the 12 Caprices for Violin solo by Heiner Reitz and andiscussion of the caprices will demonstrate how these caprices are essentially based uponnthe technical foundations laid by Locatelli and Paganini, and that they are however,nwritten within the musical context of the twentieth-century.n