Caprice sur la Romance de Joconde

The caprice takes the form of free variations in which the theme is entwined with virtuoso passages. Szymanowska's creative inventiveness and her knowledge of piano technique make it possible to present the rich palette of piano colors. The nature of the caprice is also justified by fragments based on musical motifs that do not come from the aria on which the theme is based. The piece is based on the theme of an aria from the opera Joconde, ou Les Coureurs d'aventures [Joconde, or the adventurers], composed by the Maltese-born French composer Nicolas Isouard to a libretto by Charles-Guillaume Étienne. They were inspired by the fairy tale La Fontaine Joconde, which deals with the themes of jealousy, putting one's feelings to the test and returning to one's first love. Maria Szymanowska combined two artistic vocations - a piano virtuoso and a composer. When reviewing the programs of her concerts, it is difficult not to notice that she very rarely presented her own works to the audience. Only two works received this distinction: Fantasy in F major and Caprice sur la Romance de Joconde.