Curtis Stewart - 24 American Caprices no. 12 "Oye Como Va"

24 American Caprices no. 12 "Oye Como Va" for Solo Violin

Read more about the entire collection on the Composer's Website.

The 24 American Caprices are inspired by a kaleidoscope of recorded American music, with some honorary American additions...musical aspects of each inspiration are abstracted and imbued with challenging violin techniques emulating the sounds and styles of their origin. In the full meaning of caprice, these violin fragments dance and sing lightly from inspiration to ornamentation, both with flights of fantasy and fastidious settings of referenced material, creating playful musical dialogue around American lineage and individual perspective in Classical music.

Inspired by
i. David Bowie: Modern Love - A major `
ii. Dolly Parton: 9 to 5 - F# major ~
iii. John Coltrane: Giant Steps - B Major `
iv. Bob Dylan: Blowing in the Wind - A major ~
v. Earth Wind and Fire: September - F# minor +
vi. Stevie Wonder: Isn’t She Lovely - D major `
vii. Queen Latifah: U.N.I.T.Y. - A minor `
viii. Taylor Swift: Shake it Off - G Major `
ix. Oscar Peterson: Hymn to Freedom - C major "
x. Joni Mitchell: Big Yellow Taxi - E Major `
xi. Kendrick Lamar: Complexion - Bb Major `
xii. Tito Puente / Celia Cruz: Oye Cómo Va - D major `
xiii. Donny Hathaway: This Christmas - F major *
xiv. James Weldon Johnson: Lift Every Voice and Sing - D major "
xv. Sister Rosetta Tharpe: This Train - Bb Major ~
xvi. Elektra Kurtis / Greek Traditional: Thalassaki Mou - E minor *
xvii. Billy Strayhorn: Take the A Train - C Major ~
xviii. Daniel Butterfeild: Taps - G major *
xix. John Newton: Amazing Grace - A Major *
xx. Nina Simone: Young Gifted and Black - Eb major *
xxi. Janet Jackson: Doesn't Really Matter - F major *
xxii. Duke Ellington/ Ella Fitzgerald: Mood Indigo - Ab major *
xxiii. Wayne Shorter: Infant Eyes - Bb major *
xxiv. Aretha Franklin: Rock Steady - Db minor *

* commissioned by the Juilliard School Kayden commissioning program
` commissioned by the Kaufman Music Center
~ commissioned by the American Public Media
" commissioned by the Royal Conservatory of Music
+ commissioned by Deborah Buck