There are plenty of recordings of
Paganini's
24 Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1. Some have even been made by players at ripe young ages;
María Dueñas was just 22 when this album appeared on the
Deutsche Grammophon label in 2025. However, from that smaller group, those who have devised novel readings of the
Caprices are a much shorter list. The narrative that usually goes with
Paganini has him as a concert idol, a predecessor of
Liszt in that respect, but
Dueñas goes in the opposite direction, seeking expression along with the technical fireworks. Not that she is lacking for the latter; she hits the top notes precisely and takes the listener into a strange world when she does so. Sample the
fifth Caprice as one among many. She is not particularly quick in tempo overall, and she can take a bit of space to bring out the kind of detail that
Paganini might have tried to give to his audiences. The
Caprices, as a whole, are absorbing performances indeed.
Dueñas lets some of the energy run over into a group of 19th century display pieces whose presence she justifies by saying that they were descendants of
Paganini's work. This is true in a general sense, but the collection holds together only loosely and were recorded at different times and places. Regardless, the
Caprices are well worth one's time, coming from a young player who would seem to have a great future ahead. This album made classical best-seller lists in early 2025. ~ James Manheim
