Statement of the problem. The works of Jacques-Frol Mazas (1782–1849), despite their longstanding presence in the repertoire of European music institutions, as well as their widespread use in teaching practice, have remained largely overlooked by scholars in terms of stylistic and interpretative analysis. The primary source of information on Mazas’s caprices remains his “Mthode de violon”, alongside limited research, including dissertations by U. Carvalho da Silva (2010) and Yang Zhou (2024), which consider certain methodical aspects of his legacy. In Ukrainian academic discourse, comprehensive studies of Mazas’s work are currently lacking, which opens promising avenues for further research. Objectives, methods, and novelty of the research. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the artistic and pedagogical value of Mazas’s tudes op. 36 as an important resource for developing and refining professional violin technique. For the first time, this study offers an in-depth interpretation of Mazas’s caprices (tudes) not merely as pedagogical tools but as a fully formed anthology of violin virtuosity reflecting 19th century musical thought. The study is based on several methodological approaches. The historical and cultural approach allows to contextualize Mazas’s tudes op. 36; the structural and functional analysis – to reveal their technical and artistic design; performance and interpretive approaches are used for regarding the bowings, agogics, temps, and phrasing in terms of their practical application; the comparative analysis – to situate Mazas’s caprices alongside those by P. Rode, G. B. Viotti, and N. Paganini, clarifying their place in the virtuosic tradition. The article also draws on pedagogical principles formulated by S. Yevdokymov (2007, 2013), with an emphasis on the development of expressive technique and virtuosity. Results and conclusions. Mazas’s tudes op. 36, for solo violin considers as a significant phenomenon in violin pedagogy and performance practice. His solo violin tudes (caprices) occupy an intermediate position between didactic etudes and performance virtuoso miniatures, forming a unique «anthology of virtuosity» within the 19th century tradition. The structural, technical, and interpretative features of selected caprices were analyzed, and their role as an integrated pedagogical tool combining technical training with the formation of musical thinking was defined. The study identifies typical compositional formulas in Mazas’s virtuoso writing and outlines contemporary interpretative possibilities of performer. Original recommendations are proposed to enhance violinists’ virtuosity using Mazas’s works at various stages of professional development.
Ihor Cherniavskyi (Tue,) studied this question.