Il Carnevale di Venezia

Il Carnevale di Venezia (2002) is Michael Kugel’s show-stopping adaptation of Paganini’s famous “Carnival of Venice” variations for viola and piano. In this work – full title: Il Carnevale di Venezia, duo concertante da N. Paganini – Kugel takes the well-known theme (a folk song “O Mamma, Mamma cara”) that Paganini used, and creates a dazzling new set of variations for viola, while also giving the piano an equal virtuosic role​.

Essentially, Kugel’s piece incorporates some of Paganini’s original variations and adds a large number of his own, transforming the solo violin original into a duo concertante (meaning both viola and piano are treated as soloists)​. The result is a 24-minute tour de force of continuous variations, pushing the viola’s technical envelope in the spirit of Paganini’s legendary flair​.

The piece is structured as Theme and Variations. It opens with the simple, charming Carnival of Venice theme, stated likely by the viola (or shared with piano) in a jaunty, singable manner. What follows is a sequence of 24 variations (as per Kugel’s design) of increasing difficulty and ingenuity. Niccolò Paganini himself wrote a set of variations on this tune for violin; Kugel “took 8 variations from Paganini’s music, and added [his] own 16 variations” to them​.

The early variations stick closer to Paganini’s style – playful articulations, trills, and quick scalar runs – allowing the viola to essentially “impersonate” Paganini’s violin. As the piece progresses, Kugel’s original variations introduce new tricks and textures tailored for viola. Expect fiery spiccato bowings, rapid string crossings, left-hand pizzicato punctuating melodic lines, harmonics in duet (where the viola plays two notes in flageolet), and double-stop passages that sometimes simulate two voices. Some variations likely spotlight the piano (e.g. an elaborate variation where the piano takes the theme in sparkling arpeggios while the viola plays a drone or ornamentation, showcasing the pianist’s skill).

Because it’s a duo concertante, a few variations turn into accompanied cadenzas for viola – where the piano might play a rhythmic ostinato or chords, and the violist soars in brilliant figurations. The overall style is bravura and light-hearted – even as the technical feats become jaw-dropping, the piece maintains a joking, carnival-esque atmosphere. In the final variations, Kugel includes a call-and-response interplay between viola and piano, ramps up to faster and faster tempos, and likely concludes with a rousing perpetuo moto or a grand polonaise variation. The very end traditionally in such pieces is a whirlwind coda – one can imagine Kugel ending with a flurry of arpeggios and an emphatic final chord, bringing down the house.

Paganini’s Carnival of Venice was a popular vehicle for violin virtuosi to show off (Paganini’s own version, as well as those by other violinists). Kugel, aiming to expand the viola’s virtuoso repertoire, chose to create this piece so that violists could have their equivalent of the “Carmen Fantasy” or “Carnival” to wow audiences. In doing so, he effectively bridged 19th-century virtuosity with modern viola technique. He premiered Il Carnevale di Venezia around 2001–2002, and it quickly became one of his signature encore pieces. Notably, Kugel performs it “at the original pitch” intended for violin (only adjusting octaves minimally where necessary), demonstrating that the viola can match the violin’s brilliance​. In an interview, Kugel explained that the piece is not strictly a Paganini transcription but rather a new duo composition: he “added [his] own 16 variations and a virtuoso piano part” on top of Paganini’s material​.

This highlights that the piano’s role is greatly enhanced compared to the simple accompaniment in Paganini’s original; Kugel, being a trained pianist himself, wrote a part that at times challenges the pianist with runs and counter-figures equal to the viola’s. The choice of theme – a Venetian carnival tune – fits Kugel’s penchant for theatrical, crowd-pleasing pieces. Culturally, it nods to the tradition of theme-and-variations as a display format that was beloved in the 19th century and brings that tradition into the 21st-century viola repertoire.

Il Carnevale di Venezia requires formidable virtuosity from the violist (and likewise a highly skilled pianist). It is marked advanced+ in difficulty​. For the violist, one of the biggest challenges is stamina and consistency across the many variations – one must sustain intonation and clarity from the first playful variation to the final frenetic one. The piece covers the entire fingerboard; several variations push the violist into the extreme high register (often on the A string, imitating the violin’s E-string range). Kugel’s expectation, as evidenced by his own playing, is that the violist will not simply drop everything an octave lower, but actually tackle the high notes, showing off extraordinary technique​.

Il Carnevale di Venezia has become one of Kugel’s most famous compositions. Audiences are invariably delighted to hear a viola accomplish these Paganini-esque feats. As The Strad noted, Kugel became “best known for his fire-eating virtuosity in pieces like … Paganini’s Carnevale di Venezia, which he performs on the viola at the original pitch”. This piece, along with his arrangement of Waxman’s Carmen Fantasy, firmly established Kugel’s reputation as a viola virtuoso capable of rivaling violinists.

In the viola world, Carnevale is frequently used as a showpiece in recitals and has been recorded by Kugel (live recordings from concerts in 2002 exist) and by a few daring violists on YouTube and albums. Its reception is similar to that of Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen on viola – excitement and disbelief at hearing a viola sing and dance in this manner. For aspiring violists, mastering Kugel’s Carnevale is a badge of honor, albeit achieved by very few. The piece also underscores a pedagogical point: Kugel included it in his teaching curriculum to ensure violists train in virtuoso technique just as violinists do​.

Overall, Il Carnevale di Venezia is celebrated as an entertaining and technically astounding contribution to viola literature, breathing new life into Paganini’s carnival theme through the voice of the viola.