Here are several wonderful renditions of one of Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s greatest guitar works, Capriccio Diabolico (Omaggio a Paganini), Op.85. Written over the course of five days in 1935, Capriccio Diabolico was commissioned by Andrés Segovia and, after much back and forth with Castelnuovo-Tedesco, was finally published following Segovia’s version in 1939. However, there are letters indicating that Castelnuovo-Tedesco was unhappy with the changes and had hoped for other guitarists to see the score before publication. There are now published versions of both. Segovia’s seems to be the most widely played simply because it has been around for longer and is what most guitarists have grown up listening to but there are guitarists choosing to follow the original manuscript published by Ricordi and edited by Angelo Gilardino and Luigi Biscaldi. Below are some of the finest concert guitarists playing both versions.
Tag: Capriccio Diabolico
Marcin Dylla plays Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Capriccio Diabolico
Marcin Dylla playing Castelnuovo-Tedesco is always wonderful. Marcin Dylla playing Castelnuovo-Tedesco on a Torres is magical. Watching Marcin play is like watching a magician cast a spell. Here, the synergy of artist, music, and instrument truly conjures the ghosts of the past.
Marko Topchii playing Joaquín Rodrigo’s Toccata
Marko Topchii seems to be taking the guitar world by storm. Hailing from Ukraine, Marko has amassed more than 80 awards (34 of them 1st prize) from the most important international guitar competitions in the world. I was recently pointed to a video that despite the casual setting of what looks like a green room and the mobile-phone-to-the-mirror technique of filming, displays a true force of nature as he rips through Joaquín Rodrigo’s Toccata. It is as if he chose the most violent wave to surf and simply flew over it.
If you have more time, here is a recent performance of Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Capriccio Diabolico from a performance in Italy.
Six String Journal 