An album released on February 14: 24 Caprices by Paganini, performed by violinist Maria Duenas. Yet the title does not cover the completeness of the content of this two-disc album: there are the complete 24 Caprices by Nicolo Paganini, and also other Caprices, some for solo violin, others with piano, guitar, or orchestra accompaniment, covering a diverse stylistic area, a veritable analysis of this genre that began to flourish during the Romantic period.

However, what is unusual about this album, is not the repertoire, but the performer. Maria Duenas is born in Granada, Spain, in 2002 - she is only 22 years old and she is currently considered the most famous Spanish violinist on the international level. She signs the contract with the record company Deutsche Grammophon, where the album we are listening to today was released in 2022 - she was only 20 years old. Maria Duenas has had an extraordinary musical journey, which began with her first violin lessons at the age of 7 - which was not unusual, but continued with concerts alongside top American orchestras at the age of 16-17 - furthermore, at 17, she received the "Young Artist of the Month" title from the influential magazine Musical America. Maria Duenas won important international competitions at a young age, such as the Yehudi Menuhin competition in 2021, when she was 18. In fact, this competition was her international launching pad, confirming other awards which she had won since 2018 in world-renowned competitions.

Winning the first prize at the Menuhin competition also brought her the contract with Deutsche Grammophon, which she signed in September 2022. The officials of the record company justified their decision to work with Maria Duenas as follows: "There is a certain magic in her music, energy and light combined with extraordinary depth and sensitivity."

Words that best summarize the way of interpretation proposed by Maria Duenas.

The album dedicated to the Caprices, released on February 14th, 2025, is her second signed for Deutsche Grammophon: the first one was released on May 2023, containing Beethoven's concerto for violin and orchestra - a disc entitled "Beethoven and beyond", which enjoyed a remarkable international success, including an Opus klassik award.

For her second album, Maria Duenas chose an emblematic repertoire that highlighted her formidable qualities: the complete Caprices by Nicolo Paganini. In fact, choosing to record this repertoire at only 22 years of age is an act of both daring and artistic maturity. She didn't only choose Paganini, but also other composers who wrote musical works that are at least as difficult, exploring the vast territory of violin Caprices.

What seems to me as the most important aspect brought to light when listening to this album is that Maria Duenas truly has something to say that is relevant to the audience. And she does it in a personal manner, as you may have noticed in her interpretation of Paganini's famous Caprice No. 24. At a time when uniformity and technical inflexibility seem to be the norm, being able to convey emotion and tell stories through your performance are qualities that should be all the more appreciated. Obviously, everything is based on a foundation of technical excellence, without which we cannot imagine the art of performance today.