Among the first virtuosos of his instrument, cellist Alfredo Piatti is a name known well to students of the instrument and fans of its virtuosic repertoire. Like other traveling musicians of his day, Piatti was also active as a composer. In his case, this was largely out of necessity; few works existed at the time the sufficiently displayed his pyrotechnic abilities on the cello. Although Piatti penned two concertos, four sonatas and a number of smaller works, he is best remembered today for his set of 12 Caprices for solo cello. Anyone who has studied the cello at upper levels has probably discovered these Caprices. There is certainly a didactic element to them, and the technical demands called for test the mettle of even the most proficient player, but they are not without their musical charm and potential. In the right hands, the Caprices are a fulfilling demonstration of the cello's abilities. Few performers have recorded the set.
Bengtsson recorded the complete set, and
Starker a select few. Just as technically proficient as these two legendary masters is young cellist
Soo Bae, performing the Caprices on this 2011 Naxos album.
Bae's technical execution is right up there with
Bengtsson when it comes to effortless shifts, precision intonation, crisp articulation, and impeccable double-stop work. She also scores high marks for her ability to transform these works, often thought of as nothing more than etudes, into fulfilling musical jewels. The Bonjour Stradivarius cello on which she plays for this recording produces an almost impossibly beautiful, clear tone in its upper registers, but Naxos' sound does not sufficiently capture enough definition of the instrument's middle and lower range.