Janine Jansen / Joris van Rijn / Benjamin Schmid 24 CAPRICCIOS FOR VIOLIN FROM THE NETHERLANDS

In 1998, the Rotterdam Arts Foundation commissioned 24 Dutch composers to write short works, or "capriccios", for solo violin, clearly with the idea of being a modern counterpart to the 24 caprices of Paganini. The one main rule was to compose acoustically, i.e. no use of electronics/remixing, overdubbing, or other outside means of sound besides the violin on its own and the violinist on her/his own. The Dutch music publishing house Donemus published these works in a single collected volume in 1999. All of these works received their premieres that same year at the International Gaudeamus Interpreters' Competition, which centered on the violin that year.
Starting just on presentation, in a very egalitarian spirit, the 24 works are divided equally among the album's three violinists, with each violinist playing 8 capriccios, divided equally among the two CDs, so that each violinist performs 4 of the capriccios on each CD. With perhaps a touch of chivalry as well, the album has a "ladies first" format, with a young pre-famous Janine Jansen, aged ~20, performing the first 4 capriccios on each CD. Joris van Rijn takes the second set of 4 on each CD, and Benjamin Schmid the last set of 4 on each CD. (The egalitarian division of the players doesn't extend to the list of composers, as only two female composers are represented in the collection, Caroline Ansink and Vanessa Lamm.)