Recitativo Und Scherzo-Caprice, Op. 6 by Fritz Kreisler

In 1911, Fritz Kreisler wrote the Recitativo und Scherzo Caprice, Op. 6, and dedicated it to one of his good friends, Eugène Ysäye. This caprice is one of the few works that he named with an opus number, therefore indicating his level of pride in his piece. As such, it features characteristic flavours of Kreisler’s style and idiomatic writing, both of which are proof of his mastery of the violin. The first section, aptly named Recitativo, announces the start of the piece with a suspenseful motive in D minor. While developing and repeating the motive in its improvisatory style, the drama is accentuated through colorful harmonies, chromatic elaborations and trills as the player covers the entire range of the violin. After a series of eerie harmonies, the solemn Recitativo ends abruptly before immediately launching into the bright playfulness of the Scherzo. This joking style presents itself in a deceptive form, initially appearing to start as a minuet before catapulting itself into a virtuosic display of rapid scales and declamatory chords. Even the harmony is deceptive when the F major section is interrupted with a sudden G minor chord, shifting the great majority of the piece into the minor mode. The technical difficulties challenge the player along with its fast-paced tempo, often in the upper range of the instrument, however it always remains within the idiomatic patterns of the violin. Although this piece is filled with virtuosic feats, the ending is light and delicate, as if finishing with a modest bow