Monday, April 5, 2010

Paganini Complete Violin Concerto Salvatore Accardo

It is a love/hate when regarding Paganini. Some musicologist said Paganini composed the best repertoire for violin concerto, but some simply dismissed this claim as they view Paganini was more technical superior than in composition. True or not true, Italian violinist was the only one to recorded the complete six concertos by Paganini for us to judge. Salvatore Accardo played the concerto with his own cadenza. His version said to be much mature , said a reviewer : Accardo doesn't plays his fastest and doesn't show off his amazing technique like most of the other violinist (although he is able to play twice as fast as he shows here...) but he devotes all the technique to the needs of music and this is what's so amazing about him. He prizes precision and lyricism mostand his fascinating technique is just the servant, not the lord of music.

Some quotes and infos of Salvatore Accardo :

Salvatore Accardo and his musical influences
David Oistrakh was my teacher, during the years we developed a great friendship. Oistrakh, Stern and Heifetz: I have learnt many things from them and now I teach my expertise to my students.


Heifetz told me that if I could play scales like I did, I could play anything I would. I learned from him that technique is a medium to play music.

Salvatore Accardo and Paganini
Paganini for a violinist represents something wonderful, because he has discovered all it has to be discovered from the technical point of view. Paganini’s contemporaries couldn’t believe it was possible to play like he did, for them it was something inconceivable. They would prefer to think he was possessed by the devil instead.


In my opinion it is important the way Paganini’s music is performed, with the due respect on the original score. Most of the violinists instead would like to make changes and to play different from what it is written by Paganini. This doesn’t’ happen to Mozart’s pieces, for example.

A total of 3 discs to store all Paganini's six concertos :

Disc 1
No.1 in D, Op.6 - 1. Allegro maestoso
No.1 in D, Op.6 - 2. Adagio
No.1 in D, Op.6 - 3. Rondo (Allegro spirituoso)
No.2 in B minor, Op.7 - 1. Allegro maestoso - Cadenza: S. Accardo
No.2 in B minor, Op.7 - 2. Adagio
No.2 in B minor, Op.7 - 3. Rondo à la clochette, 'La campanella'





Disc 2
No.3 in E - 1. Introduzione (Andante) - Allegro marziale - cadenza: S. Accardo
No.3 in E - 2. Adagio (Cantabile spianato)
No.3 in E - 3. Polacca (Andantino vivace)
no.6 in Em - Orch.: Federico Mompellio - 1. Risoluto - Cadenza: S. Accardo
no.6 in Em - Orch.: Federico Mompellio - 2. Adagio - Cadenza: S. Accardo
no.6 in Em - Orch.: Federico Mompellio - 3. Rondò ossia Polonese

Disc 3
No.4 in Dm - 1. Allegro maestoso - cadenza: S. Accardo
No.4 in Dm - 2. Adagio flebile con sentimento
No.4 in Dm - 3. Rondo galante (Andantino gaio)
No.5 in Am - 1. Allegro maestoso - cadenza: Remy Principe / S. Accardo
No.5 in Am - 2. Andante, un poco sostenuto - attacca:
No.5 in Am - 3. Finale. Rondo. Andantino quasi Allegretto