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Special offer. Paganini: Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1 Nos. 1-24
Roman Simovic (violin)
The playing is almost always full-on, and I sometimes found myself wanting greater variety of tone, especially in the more delicate passages…The sound is close and warm – despite appearing on...
Special offer. Paganini: Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1 Nos. 1-24
Roman Simovic (violin)
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The playing is almost always full-on, and I sometimes found myself wanting greater variety of tone, especially in the more delicate passages…The sound is close and warm – despite appearing on...
About
For his debut solo album, the Leader of the London Symphony Orchestra showcases his virtuosity and innate musicality, navigating the technical and artistic challenges of Paganini’s 24 Caprices for solo violin. Staples of the violinist’s impressive repertoire, as a budding musician Simovic would practice these works daily in place of scales, and has gone on to delight audiences with performances across the globe.
While Paganini’s Caprices were intended to improve and strengthen technique, they are more commonly used to determine the wheat from the chaff, their demanding, high speed passages pushing players to their limits. With its fast scales and arpeggios, double and triple stops, and left-hand pizzicato, the final caprice is widely considered one of the most technically challenging violin pieces ever written.
Contents and tracklist
Awards and reviews
August 2018
The playing is almost always full-on, and I sometimes found myself wanting greater variety of tone, especially in the more delicate passages…The sound is close and warm – despite appearing on the LSO Live label, this is a studio recording by the orchestra’s leader, There are delights here: the teasing ‘Devil’s Laughter’ of the 13th caprice ushers in the second half of the set, where both Paganini and Simovic seem to up their game, in terms of imagination and variety.
September 2018
Tempo is one obvious area in which a few risks have been taken…Pleasures this reaps include a particularly pathos-filled Var 3, some fabulously sharp and distinct triple-stops in Var 8 and a gorgeous sense of time suspended in Var 10…his extensive timbral palette is always bringing fresh moment to savour…This is a fine solo disc debut and one that offers a genuine and quality alternative to the existing pile.
1st July 2018
The whole superb rendition can be listened to for pure pleasure, well suited as such a recording is to an average room acoustic.
3rd June 2018
Roman Simovic, a top soloist but also familiar as leader of the London Symphony Orchestra...shows the astonishing variety of these works...Best taken in small doses, but breathtakingly worthwhile.
