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Zino Francescatti with Artur Balsam
An Evening of Paganini
Great Performances from The Library of Congress, Vol. 17
Fanfare: Best of Year
ClassicsToday.com
Review
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Zino Francescatti: Paganini Recital
Great Performances from the Library of Congress, vol. 17
Concerto in D major, Op. 6
The Carnival of Venice
Caprice No. 13, in B flat major
Caprice No. 15, in E minor
Caprice No. 21, in A major
Caprice No. 9, in E major
Caprice No. 17, in E flat major
Caprice No. 24, in A major
I Palpiti, Op. 13
Caprice No. 20, in D major
Artur Balsam, piano
BRIDGE 9125
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"Francescatti’s
performances from 1954 at the Library of Congress make a significant
contribution to his discography, adding a footnote to his still
benchmark performance of the [Paganini] First Concerto, as well as
providing new repertoire (the 17th Caprice, which he hadn’t
recorded commercially….Zino Francescatti deserved to be anyone’s
hero; and his legacy – this part in particular – should still be
required listening. In almost 11 years of reviews for Fanfare,
I’ve come across only a handful (or two) of issues I could recommend
with such enthusiasm."
--Robert Maxam, FANFARE, March/April., 2003
"This recital highlights all of Francescatti's greatest qualities:
technical magnificence, tonal expressivity, lyricism and exceptional
elegance."
--Jonathan Woolf, Classical Music Web
"Francescatti's staggering
technique is on ample display in a 1954 recital at the Library of
Congress, newly released in freshly scrubbed mono sound that makes
modern stereo seem superfluous. Prepare to be amazed, not only by
Francescatti's technical wizardry, but also by his velvet tone,
"speaking" phrasing, and singing legato, all endangered
species these days."
--Dan Davis, AVguide.com |
This never before issued recital was given in 1954, when Zino
Francescatti was at the peak of his formidable powers. The
legendary French violinist, whose musical ancestry goes back to Paganini, plays with such stunning precision and musicality that
these works leap off the page with acrobatic joy.
Francescatti's `old world' approach to this music includes his use
of piano accompaniment in the famous D major Concerto, and in the
seven Caprices. (Francescatti never made a commercial recording of
Caprice No. 17, so this stands as a new addition to his
discography.) This electrifying CD is for enthusiasts of the grand
era of virtuoso violin playing, and reconfirms Francescatti's place,
along with Heifetz and Milstein, among the three greatest players of
their generation. |
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