Skip to main content

Caprice no. 7



Caprice no. 7 is packed with a variety of technical delights. Portato, bariolage, double stops, double-stop trills, they're all here.

Campagnoli is kind at the introduction (mm. 1-8), giving a tempo giusto marking for the section which is solely a study in the portato bow stroke. I thought it was also nice of him to use a scalar pattern, rather than something more elaborate. However, you may find that there is only a finite tempo range in which you prefer to play this stroke. That was certainly the case for me. It's similar to spiccato, in that if you play too slowly it simply won't work.

The "aria" of this caprice starts at m. 9. The first time I read this, it felt manageable until I hit a wall with the double-stop trill at m. 21. The challenge lies more in the fact that in first position, with a B-flat in the first finger and A natural in the fourth finger, one has to extend as far as humanly possible just to get this in tune. Especially on a 16.5" viola! This left-hand contortion is something I experienced regularly in Berio's Sequenza VI for Viola as well. It helps to think of your second and third fingers as the balance points for your left hand. The first finger will extend back, and the fourth forward. If you base your hand off of the first finger here, you will have limited flexibility.

How to practice the double-stop trills? Lots of rhythms. It's the only way.

Another challenge was measures 34-38 where the thirds oscillate quickly. My fingers encountered coordination problems that I didn't know I had. Again, rhythms helped immensely here. And lots of patience!

In mm. 41-42, some might choose to let the quarter note go instead of holding through the second eighth note during the double-stops. However, I felt it was important to hold it through, as if you are playing chamber music with yourself and carrying two separate lines.

The triplets/beriolage in mm.45-end feel like such a release, after mucking around on double-stops for so long. Yes, you still have to configure your left had for triple-stops at times, but at least you don't have to play the notes at the same time. Ahh.

And if you can get through all of this, I've found that the hard and frustrating caprices are often the most rewarding. They certainly stretch one's technique to new levels. Enjoy!



Popular posts from this blog

Caprice no. 41

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 b...
Read more

Caprice no. 13

Caprice no. 13 at a glance appears to be a study in the octave, and my first instinct was to play the octaves with the modern approach of 1st and 4th finger (ie: lots of shifting). With further study, I realized this was the wrong approach: the work also explores arpeggios, tenths, and other intervals. Furthermore, if Campagnoli wants a fingering that takes you out of first position, he will usually indicate it. Therefore, most of this caprice stays in first position. Ironically, staying in first position makes intonation more difficult. This is because often, you jump from the C string to the D string, or the G to the A, and the left hand has to adjust across the fingerboard. So, in order to play this successfully, your left arm will have to swivel slightly, back and forth to guide the LH adjustment. You can see how this works for me in the video.
Read more

Caprice No. 17

              I fell in love with Caprice No. 17 when my teacher assigned it to me in middle school. My fascination with the work became one of the reasons I pursued this project: I wanted an outlet to perform it. Because the piece is my favorite, I’ve decided to post it first. No. 17 is more than just a caprice, it is a delightful  Theme and Variations  with tons of action packed into four short minutes. Each variation is a micro-caprice with its own technical landscape to explore. While it is appealing musically, the work is also incredibly fun to play. Most of my practice time on this caprice and other early posts was spent holed up in the bathroom during my daughter's nap time, playing with a practice mute on and the door closed. I was working on this one in the middle of the summer and there were hot days when I craved the AC which was on in the rest of the apartment! Note:  Throughout the entire piece, I attempt to ke...
Read more