Search - Kremer :: A Paganini - Gidon Kremer

An extraordinary recital

Discophage | France | 04/27/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kremer made this recording in 1984 and it is an extraordinary recital, mostly of contemporary pieces for solo violin meant as homages to Paganini and especially his famous 24th Caprice. Milstein's Paganiniana is only an appetizer, a fine set of variations but quite conventional in outlook. On the other hand Rochberg's Caprice Variations (of which Kremer plays only a selection of 24, in a rearranged order, out of its 50 total, the 51st being a short statement of Paganini's 24th) is an extraordinary catalog of wild contemporary violin sounds, colors and effects put at the service of a spellbinding imagination. In them Rochberg multiplies the borrowings, not only from Paganini but also Brahms and entirely other compositions, like the Scherzo of Mahler's Fiftth Symphony (No 44) or the Finale of Beethoven's 7th (No. 7). A tour de force. Schnittke's A Paganini is equally mesmerizing, entirely representative of the composer's unique style (also very "post-modern" in its constant use of borrowing from and recycling of material from earlier eras) and sounding like a ghostly dirge or cry of despair of breathtaking intensity. Kremer plays with great tension (in Schnittke the mikes have even picked up slight bumping sounds, like those of a lifting turntable arm, which might be the fiddlers feet stamping or his bow wildly brushing) and seems entirely on top of the demands of those daunting pieces, both technically and musically.



Ernt's 6th Polyphonic Etude, a series of variations on "The Last Rose", is not Paganini-inspired but it is one of the most challenging compositions of the repertoire for solo violin, and it makes a welcome bonus. The score is available on the net for free download and it is even more awesome to look at than to hear. I've compared Kremer's recording with Midori's live one (Midori - Live at Carnegie Hall). Granted, Kremer's is a studio recording, but he plays with significantly more élan and charm, and his 8:15 to Midori's 9:23 has little to do with the fact that he cuts four bar at 7:08.



Too bad Kremer didn't include Salvatore Sciarrino's extraordinary Capricci (Sciarrino: Un'immagine Di Arpocrate/6 Capricci Per). They would have made a worthy companion to the other pieces contained here, and the disc's 58:25 TT would have alllowed their inclusion. The notes are a bit disappointing. More specific explanations about the individual works would have been welcome. Still this is indispensable for any amateur of contemporary violin or simply violin virtuosity. And note the nice cover art: they've made Kremer look like Paganini.



Oh by the way: I don't know way Amazon lists this entry as being comprised of 30 CDs (it is the same on the European sister companies). If this entry does correspond to what the title and product info indicate, and which my review deals with, it is only 1 CD.

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