Maria Duenas: Beethoven and Beyond

Spanish violinist María Dueñas’ debut album comes with one of the most demanding and widely performed works in violin literature, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto.

You will look in vain for comparisons here, because the artist presented herself as a composer with her own caddies for all three movements. Fascinated by the process of composing, Maria Duenas also recorded cadenzas for the first movement of five other artists as a tireless task.

Very different approaches to the ceremony became apparent. Mozart’s tune sometimes falters, perhaps inspired by Spohr, then sparkles more brilliantly with all the technical refinement, as if the famous and legendary Fritz Kreisler was making his own.

But this is by no means enough for the Spaniard. She also plays other work for violin and orchestra for each of the five recording artists. Partly very popular pieces, which shine in a different way than usual with the artist because of the richness of colour. For example, “The Sorrow of Love” by Chrysler, “Havanaise” by Saint-Saëns, or “Legendie” by Wienniewski.

Their recordings were recorded at the Wiener Musikverein. As conductor, Manfred Hunecke stood on the stage with his long experience of accompanying up and coming young talents, like elite Spanish violinists, whose promising future you could smell while listening.