Bozza: Caprice

Eugene Bozza’s life spanned nearly the entire 20th century, with his personal and musical life larged based in France. A graduate of the Paris Conservatory where he studied violin and composition, the influence of the solo de concours style and contemporary Parisian composers is evident. Gabriel Fauré and Darius Milhaud both seem to influence the melodic and harmonic elements in Bozza’s music.

“Caprice” is defined as “a sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior” (Webster). When approaching this piece, I believe this “unaccountable change of mood” is evident without question. In light of this, consider bringing the similar characteristics out to your audience. The human brain craves familiarity, so playing contrasting themes without emphasizing commonality may be overwhelming on first listening. Furthermore, really delve into the overtly French lightness. The sixteenth note triplets in the first allegro should be played with a flourish. Listening to great European soloists (i.e. Andre) will greatly aid in the expressive music found in this piece.

I have found most success performing this piece on C trumpet, although the Bb part may be useful for a younger student with advanced technique but does not own a quality C trumpet.