The amazing Canadian guitarist Drew Henderson plays Caprice No. 9 “The Hunt” from 24 Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1 by Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840). This comes via Henderson’s excellent YouTube channel. Love his smooth legato lines, witty articulations, and quick contrasts.
Excellent write-up by Henderson on YouTube:
Originally for violin. Here is a piece that immediately made me think of the old Segovia video where he describes the many colours on the classical guitar, and how they can imitate orchestral instruments.
In this piece, the initial theme is to be played “imitating the flute”, according to Paganini. To achieve this, you play a little in the sound hole with a soft attack. This immediately changes to a passage “imitating the horn”, so basically the exact opposite, with a somewhat brighter sound on the lower strings. This opening section to me feels like a hunting party setting out in the morning.
This recurring theme, alternates with more exciting sections, evoking imagery (at least in my mind) of a chase. The higher passages and trills personally remind me birds, while the faster scales really drive home the idea of a chase.
The piece ends musically where it started. To me, with the hunting party heading home for day. Please enjoy!
