Musicology Annotation << Back The Development of the Genre of Caprice for Violin Solo in the Late 18th – early 19th Centuries Berkul Tatyana The relevance of the study is due to the popularity of works in the genre of caprice among violin performers for many years. An attempt to analyze the development of the genre of caprice for solo violin during its heyday – from the end of the 18th to the beginning of the 19th centuries – sheds light on the close relationship between the cycles created by outstanding violinists – virtuosos of their time. Thus, the fi rst of the images of the genre – a cycle of 24 caprices by P. Locatelli – became the starting point for its development in the works of F. Geminiani, P. Gavigne, R. Kreutzer, A. Bruni, P. Baillot, N. Paganini and P. Rode. They were attracted by the opportunity to demonstrate virtuosity and technical mastery simultaneously with the deep content and fi gurative structure of caprices, which in this respect differed from dry instructive etudes. The article pays special attention to the caprices of Locatelli, Paganini and Rode – the pinnacle examples of the genre – and their internal interrelation (intonation, texture, thematic). The author comes to the conclusion that the genre of caprice has evolved from an instructional piece to a work of art fi lled with meaning and vivid images. This tradition, picked up by Paganini from Locatelli, was continued in the works of Rode and other outstanding master composers. Today, the repertoire of every violinist includes several different cycles of caprices, including Paganini. These pieces allow demonstrating the high technical skill of the violinist, and are also interesting for listeners due to their vivid themes and deep content. Keywords: caprice, violin, solo, genre, Locatelli, Paganini, Rode. Pp. 23-31.