PAGANINI: 24 Caprices for solo violin, arranged by William Zinn for string quartet – Wihan Quartet (Jan Schulmeister and Leoš Čepický, violins. Jiří Žigmund, viola. Aleš Kaspřík, cello) – Nimbus Alliance

by | Aug 9, 2010 | Classical CD Reviews | 0 comments

PAGANINI: 24 Caprices for solo violin, arranged by William Zinn for string quartet – Wihan Quartet (Jan Schulmeister and Leoš Čepický, violins. Jiří Žigmund, viola. Aleš Kaspřík, cello) – Nimbus Alliance NI 6113, 75:56 [Distr. by Allegro] *****:

On the heels of an avalanche of Paganini Caprices Op. 24 for Solo Violin from some of the greatest violinists of our time, including a spectacular version by James Ehnes and one from Julia Fischer that is so new I have not had  a chance to listen to it yet, comes an unexpected stroke of genius from the Wihan Quartet and increasingly fabled arranger William Zinn.

I am not sure if Zinn’s arrangement gets to the core of what Paganini had in mind–the core that comes out so dramatically in Ehnes’ recording with its mind-bending games occupied in finding internal patterns and pulses–but it puts the music into a comfortable, almost Beethovenian context that will makes it exceedingly comfortable and well-upholstered listening, and much more. It is a far more interesting achievement to my mind than the various settings of Bach’s Goldberg Variations that proliferated for a while a few years ago.

It also gives the Wihan Quartet, who are in Residence at Trinity College of Music, London, and for several years have taught many of the UK’s gifted young quartets at the International Chamber Music Academy for young musicians at Pro Corda in Suffolk, an opportunity to show off some major string quartet chops.

Musical surprises abound. The deeply moving and mysteriously dark introduction to No. 4, for example, followed by shimmering transitional passages leading to the final tour de force passage work, in a very real sense linked to Beethoven middle and late quartets. The opening of No. 5 is another example undeniably linked to the Beethoven. And then there are purely charming touches that are pure Paganini, No. 9 for example.

The sound recorded in the Domovina Studio in Prague, is rich and detailed, and when heard upon my present system–Harbeth P3ESR Special Edition speakers, Rega Saturn CD player and Exposure 2010S integrated amplifier–is not only a fabulous audiophile demo recording, it is simply drop dead gorgeous.

– Laurence Vittes

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