The Campagnoli Project

I couldn't think of a better way to end an epic book of caprices. Caprice number 41 is a grand bookend for a grand project. I used to think number 17 was my favorite, but this piece took the cake once I discovered it. It is joyful and stately. And the sonority it draws out of the instrument makes the solo viola sound like a chamber group.  Perhaps it's the crescendo of energy and sound output. This can heard and also clearly seen in the music, at about  measure 26 , going on to the end of the piece. Double-stops and bariolage, and sometimes both at once, make the viola into a mini-organ. This was my favorite section to play because I felt awash in sound.  This piece mostly tries to be a fugue, but also reaches for something greater. In fact, it reminds me a lot of the fourth movement of Hindemith's Op.11, No.5 sonata (another favorite of mine). The Hindemith obviously came later, and is much longer and more fantastical. But both pieces give you the feeling that you have bee

We're almost at the end of this book, and in Caprice number 38, Campagnoli takes his hat off to Rodolphe Kreutzer and his 42 Etudes for Violin (1796), by quoting Etude #2. And guess where it happens: at measures 41-42. Is this a coincidence of numbers? Knowing how deliberate Camapagnoli was, I think probably not. We don't know about the two composers' relationship, but it is very likely that they knew each other, and obvious that there was admiration. This all but confirms my theory that Campagnoli held the great Kreutzer in such regard that he wrote 41 caprices, one less than his contemporary. Many of Campagnoli's caprices have a strong focus on bowing. However, Caprice 37 is all about the left hand. And wow - did my left hand feel like it was going to fall off after recording this piece. (even though I was in great shape!) Having said that, it was very important to let my bow arm drive the momentum as much as possible. Almost all of our expression comes from the bow,

Caprice number 39 is such a sweet, gentle piece - it was one that took no effort to practice, even though it's in F# major. Perhaps that was the point: dress up an unagreeable key in a beautiful melody!  Double-stops are definitely a technical focus. My favorites are the ones that resolve a dissonance, for example at measures 18 and 27 . This is overall a great caprice to fine-tune your sense of pitch and harmony. Enjoy!

Caprice number 37 is about as pedantic as it gets for this book. We make our way through the circle of fifths with the same pattern, which explores eighths, sixteenths, and triplet eighths. Campagnoli even repeats C# as the key of D-flat when we make the transition to flat keys (mm. 16-20 ), - an interesting moment for the ear.  My favorite section was the arpeggios (bariolage) section at the end. This, at least, seemed to have some direction and interest in its chord development. Overall, it's an incredibly boring caprice, but it does get the job done on the technical side. Campagnoli gives lots of fingering, which is unusual for him. He wants the player to many different positions and keys, but always with the same finger/bow pattern. This proves to be quite challenging when you have to nail 5th position out of nowhere, like in measures 11 and 25 .  I'll give him this: it's still better than playing the standard etude!

Back to Etude Land with Caprice number 36. The piece is a study in positions 1-3, as well as major and minor keys ordered by whole step. Bowing and rhythm variations are thrown in for further interest. For that, it is pretty creative but certainly not the most captivating. However, I would prefer playing this caprice over any Kreutzer or Sevcik etude! Considering that this is  a caprice, an effort does need to be made to make it as musical as possible. I found it helpful to emphasize rhythmic changes and have that be the driver of different sections' moods. Some examples: At m. 9 ,  the dotted rhythm feels militant and upright. This is followed by a triplet section ( m. 13 ) which was looser and swinging. Fast-forward to m. 24 : here we have a backwards bowing, which serves to make the music feel more muscular and aggressive, working toward the A minor cadence at the end.

Lighthearted and fun, Caprice no. 35 is an example of a piece that doesn't exactly scream viola. (To my non-violist readers: our instrument is usually trotted out for a slow, melancholy number.) I'm glad that Campagnoli expanded the realm of possibility for our instrument, even if his ideas didn't stick for the next 100+ years. I like how every section in this piece has its own special touch of buffoonery. Variation 3 (measure 17) mimics the beginning Theme, but the low register makes it rather burdensome, and a little silly. Variation 10 (measure 73) is supposed to sound sad, but the repeated returns to the "A" harmonic, and the little soprano run at the end (mm. 79-80) give it an air of mockery. And the da capo  turn at the end goes from an over-deflated/defeated minor section, to a just-kidding, flippant ending. For just a few examples. So have fun with it, and enjoy the relative ease of this piece. No major technical curveballs here!