Corigliano The Red Violin Caprices

The Red Violin Caprices (duration: approx. 10 minutes) are taken from John Corigliano's award-winning score for the film The Red Violin, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Score in 1999. These unique caprices were composed especially for the acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell and are a musical journey through history and emotion.

Corigliano masterfully manages to unfold an original theme inspired by troubadour songs in fascinating variations that take both linear and stylistically exciting turns. He deliberately evokes the sound of the Baroque period, the passion of gypsy music and the drama of late Romanticism. These stylistic twists and turns and the repetition of a sombre, seven-chord chaconne motif and the main theme give each work its own profound identity.

The caprices were deliberately arranged in the order in which they appear in the film. The story of the fictional violin maker Bussotti, who creates the perfect instrument for his soon-to-be-born son and whose life is overshadowed by tragic loss, is reflected in every note. In an act of despair and love, Bussotti mixes the blood of his deceased wife and child with the varnish of the violin - a symbol of the deep connection between art and fate. Over three centuries, the violin accompanies us on its journey through Vienna, London, Shanghai and Montreal. It goes from a promising child genius to an eccentric virtuoso, a tormented Maoist to a Canadian expert whose unwavering devotion completes the fate of the violin - and thus closes the circle of art and family.

Let yourself be enchanted by the emotional depth and unique sound of these extraordinary caprices and immerse yourself in the world of The Red Violin.