The Three Caprices for two guitars is directly linked to my work with Randall Avers and our duo “Les Frères Méduses”. The composing began in 2010 when our duo needed new repertoire that challenged our perception of rhythm, articulation and colour.
The inspiration came from different places: the Fine Arts Museum of Agen (France) requested I organise a concert around a painting in their collection, “Les Caprices” by the Spanish painter Francisco Goya. Sergei Prokofiev’s music had a deep impact on me during that period and ultimately steered the way the opus was crafted. Finally my wife’s pregnancy and the early arrival of our daughter Judith in April 2011 gave a new dimension to the word “Caprice”! The Three Caprices are dedicated to them.
I want to thank Randall Avers for his constant support around this opus. The first guitar was specially crafted with his amazing talent in mind.
We (Les Frères Méduses) premiered the «3 Caprices» at the Fine Arts Museum of Agen (France) in the «salle Goya» on the 5th of May 2012, sited next to the original painting. The US premiere of the Opus took place in 2013 at the Guitar Foundation of America Festival in Louisville, KY.
Benoît Albert, Lieu dit Conte, Miradoux (France), November 2016
