VARIATIONS ON PAGANINI`S CAPRICE 24 / VERSION FOR TWO CELLOS (2021) OP.94
This piece is a set of variations on the iconic tune by Paganini, very diverse in their technique and style. It continues a very rich and manifold tradition, starting with Liszt and Brahms down to Rachmaninoff and Lutosławski. Original version of the piece features two brass instruments (trumpet and trombone), which upon the first glance could not be more distant from violin in their sound and technique. In this version Paganini`s piece “homes home” back to the realm of string instruments and virtuoso cello technique. Another distinct characteristic of this piece is that almost every variation represents a different epoch, style and composer, from Frescobaldi and Rossini down to Arvo Pärt and Astor Piazzola. Many variations feature elements of jazz improvisation.
Performances: May 2021, Buchman-Mehta Music Academy, Tel-Aviv w Kristina Reiko Cooper and Hillel Tzori on cello