Rondo und Capriccio

A concert overture or showpiece in the format of works such as William Tell or Ruslan and Ludmilla: Erwin Schulhoff createdan ideal orchestral version of Ludwig van Beethoven’s catchy piece Alla ingarese quasi un capriccio whose circumstances of composition are no longer known today. It is, however, not hard to imagine the strong attraction to the virtuoso character of this piece by the equally talented pianist and orchestrator Schulhoff. Here he creates highly effective ‘punchlines’ through added syncopation and the emphasis of motivic elements and middle voices in the instrumentation which would be virtually unplayable on the piano.