Search - Niccolo Paganini, Mauro Giuliani :: Duos for Violin & Guitar

Beautiful, wanton butchery

Eugene C. Braig IV | Columbus, OH United States | 07/10/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The sound of these instruments in duo is exquisite. The performances here are stunning. Itzhak's violin sings in the hands of its master. Mr. Williams' mastery of the guitar is no less great in its power to move. It's not what is performed, but what isn't, that caused this recording by venerable masters to ruffle my feathers. All but one of the variations where the guitar assumes a lead role are edited out of the second movement of Giuliani's op. 25, perhaps Giuliani's finest chamber work. What Giuliani intended as an interesting dialog between instrumental peers has been reduced to Guitar as dog in service to master Violin with the toss of only one bone for its efforts. Simply wrong."

A Perfect Combination

Jim Rolfs | Shreveport, Louisiana, USA | 05/05/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Superlatives are inadequate for describing this ineffable listening experience!I first heard John Williams interpreting Paganini about thirty-five years ago and was excited to learn that he had teamed with Itzhak Perlman in this marvelous production. Strangely, I find myself as attracted to their collaboration with Mauro Giuliani as with Paganini.Occasionally you find the rare classical piece, such as Corelli's La Folia, that can rapture you into a remote dimension of complete peace and unanimity. This entire album is of that genre. It would be insipid to attempt to explain the effects of this music in terms of tonality, virtuosity, etc.--sometimes when technique is perfect, the magic is missing. Call it magic, soul, genius, whatever--this is it.Williams does some things with the Sonata in A Major that must be heard to be believed and Perlman's sweet song is the perfect compliment.Try it in the dark with earphones."

A Sublime Serenade

David Dorman | Westbury, NY United States | 07/24/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The DUOS CD by Perlman & Williams provides the most sublime music this side of Mozart. Their presentation of the Paganini Sonata Concertata in A is particularly "otherworldly""