Kreisler Caprice Viennois for Violin and String Orchestra

Kreisler: Caprice Viennois, Op. 2 (Arr. Violin and String Orchestra)

Caprice Viennois is one of the most perfectly formed things Kreisler wrote: a sighing, waltz-inflected melody that carries the atmosphere of old Vienna from its opening bars, a more brilliant central section, and a return that feels entirely inevitable. This edition takes the original violin and piano version and sets it for solo violin and string orchestra.

The piano accompaniment in Kreisler's original is characteristically well-written, but it gives up something a string orchestra can offer: sustained tone beneath the melody, harmonic warmth in the quieter passages, and a fuller, more rounded sound in the louder ones. The orchestral writing is drawn from Kreisler's piano part, redistributed across the five string sections to give it timbral variety while staying close to the character of what he wrote.

The solo part is unchanged. The demands are firmly at Diploma or Professional standard: a long-breathed opening melody that requires complete command of the bow arm, expressive portamento that never tips into sentimentality, and a genuine feel for Viennese style that has to be acquired rather than improvised. The faster passages in the central section ask for clean, light bow technique at tempo.

At around four minutes, the piece fits well as a recital encore or a short solo feature within a concert programme. It is well known enough to engage an audience immediately, and the string orchestra texture gives it more presence in a hall than the piano version typically achieves.

See and hear the difference

Check the score and parts preview images above, then watch the complete score video below. They'll give you a clear sense of the engraving quality, orchestral balance, and overall difficulty before you buy.

Key features

• Instrumentation: Solo Violin + String Orchestra (Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello, Double Bass)
• Difficulty: Diploma / Professional (solo); Intermediate to Advanced (orchestra)
• Duration: approximately 4 minutes
• Style focus: expressive rubato, cantabile tone, Viennese salon style
• Format: PDF download, full score and all parts

Who it's for

This suits professional and advanced student recitals where a well-known, polished showpiece is needed alongside more substantial repertoire. It works as a concert encore or solo feature for a strong amateur or youth orchestra that can provide a clean, stylistically sensitive backdrop. The piece rewards a soloist who has already absorbed the style.