Paganini: 24 Caprices [2009 Recording]

James Ehnes

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Paganini: 24 Caprices [2009 Recording] Review

by Blair Sanderson

The 24 Caprices for violin by Niccolò Paganini are among the most spectacular solo works for the instrument and the artists who have successfully balanced their ferocious technical demands with true musicality are rare. Through his 2009 release for Onyx Classics, James Ehnes demonstrates that he belongs in that august company of violinists who have fully mastered the caprices' bag of tricks -- including passages in octaves; rapid multi-stopping; spiccato, martellato, and arpeggio bowing; left-hand pizzicati; and more -- and given them a genuine feeling of emotion usually absent in other showpieces and found more often in the elevated violin works of J.S. Bach. Ehnes first recorded the caprices in 1995 for Telarc at the start of his career, so the return to these virtuoso pieces appears to signify a rethinking or reassessment of their potential; indeed, the earlier recording was a dazzling display of bravura playing, while the second one is more reflective and penetrating in its expression. Onyx's sound is transparent and crisply detailed, but the warmth of Ehnes' playing and his presence are readily apparent.

Track Listing

Title/Composer Performer Time Stream
24 Caprices, Op. 1
1
No. 1 in E: Andante
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 01:48 SpotifyAmazon
2
No. 2 in B minor: Moderato
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 02:43 SpotifyAmazon
3
No. 3 in E minor: Sostenuto - Presto
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 02:50 SpotifyAmazon
4
No. 4 in C minor: Maestoso
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 06:48 SpotifyAmazon
5
No. 5 in A minor: Agitato
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 02:41 SpotifyAmazon
6
No. 6 in G minor: Lento
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 05:48 SpotifyAmazon
7
No. 7 in A minor: Posato
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 03:55 SpotifyAmazon
8
No. 8 in E flat: Maestoso
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 02:47 SpotifyAmazon
9
No. 9 in E: Allegretto
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 02:56 SpotifyAmazon
10
No. 10 in G minor: Vivace
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 02:10 SpotifyAmazon
11
No. 11 in C: Andante - Presto
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 04:08 SpotifyAmazon
12
No. 12 in A flat: Allegro
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 02:39 SpotifyAmazon
13
No. 13 in B flat: Allegro
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 02:32 SpotifyAmazon
14
No. 14 in E flat: Moderato
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 01:54 SpotifyAmazon
15
No. 15 in E minor: Posato
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 02:40 SpotifyAmazon
16
No. 16 in G minor: Presto
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 01:32 SpotifyAmazon
17
No. 17 in E flat: Sostenuto - Andante
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 03:41 SpotifyAmazon
18
No. 18 in C: Corrente - Allegro
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 02:32 SpotifyAmazon
19
No. 19 in E flat: Lento - Allegro assai
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 03:04 SpotifyAmazon
20
No. 20 in D: Allegretto
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 04:21 SpotifyAmazon
21
No. 21 in A: Amoroso - Presto
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 03:13 SpotifyAmazon
22
No. 22 in F: Marcato
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 03:07 SpotifyAmazon
23
No. 23 in E flat: Posato
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 03:34 SpotifyAmazon
24
No. 24 in A minor: Tema con variazioni. Quasi presto
Niccolò Paganini
James Ehnes 04:29 SpotifyAmazon
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Paganini: 24 Caprices [2009 Recording]

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