Massimo Quarta's 2005 Chandos recording of
Paganini's 24 Caprices for solo violin may not be the flashiest or most sensational on the market, but it may well be the most serious-minded, since the performer is one of the world's leading scholars of
Paganini's work. Much more than virtuoso showpieces, the caprices are in some ways
Paganini's most imaginative compositions, and the sheer wealth of ideas in them transcends their surface difficulties. (The Caprice No. 24 in A minor has been the inspiration for many composers who composed sets of variations on it.)
Quarta's playing from the manuscripts is subtle and a bit understated, though he takes special care to get the details right. He is certainly a masterful technician, so the vast array of octaves, multistops, runs, harmonics, left-hand pizzicati, and arpeggios present no problems for him, and he displays a remarkable accuracy of pitch and no traces of sliding. But what matters more than these famous violinistic tricks are the fresh melodies, clever counterpoint, surprising colors, and deeper nuances of these pieces, which make them meaningful as music and fascinating as the most concentrated expressions of
Paganini's genius. Chandos offers fine sound, though the resonance of the venue tends to make
Quarta seem a little distant.