The Capriccio for Violin and Orchestra[1] is a composition by Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki. It is one of the five caprices that he composed and one of the two that he composed for a soloist with an orchestra, together with the Capriccio for Oboe and Eleven Instruments.
This composition was finished in 1967 and was intended for performance in Donaueschingen, on October 22, 1967. On that occasion, Ernest Bour conducted the South West German Radio Orchestra, with Wanda Wilkomirska as the violin soloist.[2] [3] It was eventually dedicated to Heinrich Strobel and published by the Polish Music Publishing House and Moeck Musikinstrumente + Verlag[4] and, later on, bySchott Music.
This unusual composition takes 10 minutes to perform. It is score for a very large and powerful set of instruments. The list of instruments used in this piece is as follows:[5]
solo violin
24 violins
10 violas
10 cellos
8 double basses
The composition has no tempo marking at the beginning, even though the last bars are marked as Tempo di Valse. It is mentioned in the score that two or three of the bells from the second bell set should be made of 24-karat gold. Contrary to its concertante nature, the cadenza is fairly close to the beginning.
Following are some of the most well-known recordings of this piece:
| Violin | Orchestra | Conductor | Record Company | Year of Recording | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wanda Wilkomirska | Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra | Krzysztof Penderecki | EMI | 1972 | CD[6] | |
| Wanda Wilkomirska | MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra | Herbert Kegel | Berlin Classics | 2003 | CD[7] | |
| Patrycja Piekutowska | Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra | Krzysztof Penderecki | Dux Records | 2007 | CD[8] |