Search - Francescatti, Ormandy, Bottesini :: Violin Concerti 1 & 4 / Gran Duo Concertant for Violin, Double Bass & Orchestra

Two great Paganini interpreters: Francescatti and Ricci

Sander I. Marcus | Chicago, IL USA | 07/14/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Paganini violin concerti are the ultimate in blending technical virtuosity, melodrama, and singing melody. There are many great recordings of the Concerto #1, but this famous performance by Zino Francescatti is in a class by itself. His melodic playing literally sings like a human voice, and his technique is exciting and sparkling. As to the Concerto #4, I usually prefer Artur Grumiaux's first recording, which displayed elegance and a crisp technique, but this performance by Ruggiero Ricci has all of the passion and propulsive virtuosity of Ricci at his best. The Bottesini is spectacularly played (how often do you hear a virtuoso bass fiddle?), but the piece itself is one of those Paganini imitations that lacks the drama, excitement, and aria-like melodies of the original. The sound of this CD is, of course, not the latest, but it is fine. And, anyway, you listen to music like this for the performances, not for the latest in sound production. Overall, this CD is a must."

Two great Paganini interpreters: Francescatti and Ricci

Sander I. Marcus | Chicago, IL USA | 07/15/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Paganini's violin concerti are still the ultimate fusion of technical virtuosity, drama, and melody. For all of the recordings of the Concerto #1, this classic Francescatti recording is a spectacular demonstration of a unique singing style combined with a sparkling technique. There are other wonderful recordings of this piece, but this one is in a class by itself. As for the Concerto #4, I prefer the original Artur Grumiaux recording for his elegance and rich tone, but this Ricci recording has excitement, passion, and Ricci's steamrolling virtuosity. The Bottesini is spectacularly played (you don't hear a virtuoso bassist that often), but the piece is one of those Paganini imitations that lacks the drama, passion, and melodic flair of the real thing. The sound of this CD is, of course, not the latest, but it is fine. And, anyway, you listen to music like this for the performances, not the ultimate in sound quality. In my book, this is a great buy."

If the vinyl was 5 stars (and it was)...

bckm | Los Angeles, CA | 07/05/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I do not have the CD version (I'm ordering it), but I have the original vinyl record, and it is, without a doubt and by a long shot, the best interpretation of the Bottesini. I cannot play the vinyl because I don't have a record player anymore, and the sound quality of CDs as compared to vinyl makes vinyl no longer a choice for me.



I have sort of a reversed opinion as the other reviewer; I feel the Paganini is not as good as the Bottesini. I LOVE the Botesini work; it is no easy feat (as the other reviewer quite aptly says) to have a "virtuoso bass fiddle", but Petracchi pulls it off magnificently. I own one other CD of the Bottesini work, and it is not nearly as good.



Trust me; this is the BEST version of the Bottesini you will find. Add to that the recording quality of this version, as opposed to the other version, with Jose-Luis Garcia on violin and Thomas Martin on bass (through no fault of the soloists); the bass was horribly under-miked, and you couldn't hear all the marvelous intricacies required by the bass part that were easy to hear on the recording I'm reviewing here). And the violinist's technique wasn't as clean as Ricci's (but then again, Ricci is a top-echelon violinist, and I don't believe Garcia is quite there yet).



If you can get your hands on a copy of this CD -- DO IT. It is well worth whatever you would pay."