Out Today: Violinist Sean Lee & Pianist Peter Dugan Release New EP, Paganini X Schumann: 9 Caprices

A top prizewinner at the "Premio Paganini" International Violin Competition, violinist Sean Lee embraces the legacy of his late mentor, violinist Ruggiero Ricci, as one of few violinists who dare to perform the complete 24 Caprices of Niccolò Paganini in recital.

Today, Lee and pianist Peter Dugan release a digital album featuring 9 of the Caprices, each with accompanying music videos. An LP of the recording is planned for spring 2022. Lee's ongoing educational YouTube series Paganini POV uses modern technology to share a unique perspective on violin playing.

Yesterday, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center presented Lee and Dugan in Schumann's arrangement of Paganini's Complete Caprices for Violin and Piano, Op. 1 (c. 1805), marking the first time all 24 of Paganini's Caprices have been performed in one concert in the organization's 52 year history.

Lee says, "The 24 Caprices of Niccolò Paganini are like the Mount Everest of the violin repertoire. But beyond the technical challenges, each Caprice is a compelling character piece and even more colorful with the addition of Robert Schumann's piano arrangements, which keep the original violin score completely intact, unchanged. Having studied in my high school years with violinist Ruggiero Ricci (who made the first solo violin recording in 1947), I'm thrilled to perform the complete set, something I didn't even dream of when I initially studied them! The musical and technical ingenuity both are tremendous, keeping me constantly fascinated with pondering their countless obstacles. In performance, the electricity in the air is like none other."

Dugan adds, "It's unusual to hear the work of two great composers simultaneously, but that's exactly what this collaboration is all about. In this series of nine videos, you'll get a closeup look at all of the violin pyrotechnics of the Paganini caprices, but you'll also experience the charm and elegance of these pieces, magnified by Schumann's piano writing, which ranges from dark and brooding to frothy and quirky."