Widmann, Jörg: Études

für Violine solo

Widmann's 'Études' for solo violin are in the tradition of the caprices by Paganini and the piano studies by Chopin, Liszt and Ligeti: artistically autonomous concertante pieces on a specific technical problem each, to be performed individually or in cyclic order. No. IV contained in Vol. 2 presented here is a study on different pizzicato techniques. No. V, a tremolando study, is an homage to Niccolò Paganini's 'Caprice No. 6'. No. VI which bears the subtitle 'Salomes Wiegenlied' (Salome's Lullaby) is, due to its sequence of a 12-bar theme and 24 short variations each of which is committed to a different contemporary way of playing, perfect for violin lessons and as a competition piece.