Search - Paganini, Slapin :: 24 Caprices

Amazing viola playing

Donald G. Hite III | Houston, Tx USA | 09/12/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a moderately decent violist who has attempted pieces of some of these caprices, I can definitely say that playing one of them (much less all of them) is no small feat!! Scott Slapin has done just that, and the result is mostly very good.



Scott Slapin released a few caprices on previous albums and I actually emailed his some time back and suggested he record them all. He told me that he wasn't sure if there was much artistic merit in doing so. I'm glad he decided to do it. Obviously these pieces are going to sound best on a violin, but most of them work on the viola as well. The only one which doesn't fair so well is Caprice #1. I think the viola just doesn't have the crisp response to make this piece work. He plays it technically well, but that caprice just doesn't "shine" on the viola.



That said, the remaining 23 all sound quite good on the viola. Slapin plays these pieces like they are for viola... Some of his tempos are slightly slower than what is traditionally played on the violin, but this allows the viola more time to speak and seems to highlight it's huskier sound quality (rather than just trying to play them as fast as a violin and sounding dull and scratchy). That said, Slapin does have plenty of bravado and plays the pieces with excitement, energy, and appropriate aggression when called for. His technique is quite amazing, particularly considering that (based on videos I've seen of him) he doesn't even use a shoulder rest. How he gets up that high on the finger board (playing octaves or worse!) so easily without a shoulder rest is a mystery to me. He makes these pieces sound easy and any moments which may sound slightly labored seem to be more a product of the viola itself than any deficiency in Slapin's technique.



The only issue I take is the fast section of caprice 3. He seems to play this section way too fast. He technically plays all the notes, but it just comes off as frenetic. Most violinists rip through this section at lightning speed, so maybe it's just another caprice (like #1) that doesn't work so well on viola. I think it would be fine if played slightly slower (he could slow down considerably and still be within the "presto" tempo marking).



I sometimes take issues with his sound (in all his recordings, not just this one). I find it slightly harsh and "hollow" at times. It could be his viola. However, he seems to get much more sound and projection out of his instrument than most violas. This is probably just an unavoidable trade-off with a viola. The more you project and the more aggressively you play, the more warmth of sound you lose. For me, though, I'm willing to sacrifice sound slightly to get a more aggressive style (at least on music like this). However, if I could find a violist with Slapin's moxie and Bashmet's sound (I think Bashmet's sound is unmatched by any other violist I've ever heard), I'd REALLY be thrilled, haha.



Thinking back to Mr. Slapin's stated concerns about the merit of the playing these caprices on viola, it's an interesting question. While the pieces unquestionably sound best on violin, the viola does add a certain something to many of them. And even if you completely prefer the these pieces on violin, there's no denying that what Slapin has done is an exercise in spectacular viola playing. Enjoy!"