Paganini: The 6 Violin Concertos
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CD Details
Composer: Niccolo PaganiniConductor: Charles Dutoit
Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra
Edition: Music CD
Format: Box set
CD Release Date: 1993-04-13
Music Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
- Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 1 In D Major, Op 6: 1. Allegro maestoso
- Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 1 In D Major, Op. 6: 2. Adagio
- Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 1 In D Major, Op. 6: 3. Rondo. Allegro spirituoso
- Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 2 In B Minor, Op. 7 'La Campanella': 4. Allegro maestoso
- Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 2 In B Minor, Op. 7 'La Campanella': 2. Adagio
- Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 2 In B Minor, Op. 7 'La Campanella': 3. Rondo
- Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 3 In E Major: 1. Introduzione. Andantino - Allegro marziale
- Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 3 In E Major: 2. Adagio. Cantabile spianato
- Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 3 In E Major: 3. Polacca. Andantino vivace
- Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In E Minor, Op. post. (No. 6): 1. Risoluto
- Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In E Minor, Op. post. (No. 6): 2. Adagio
- Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In E Minor, Op. post. (No. 6): 3. Rondo ossia Polonese
- Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 4 In D Minor: 1. Allegro maestoso
- Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 4 In D Minor: 2. Adagio flebile con sentimento (attacca -)
- Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 4 In D Minor: 3. Rondo galante. Andantino gaio
- Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 5 In A Minor: 1. Allegro maestoso
- Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 5 In A Minor: 2. Andante, un poco sostenuto
- Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 5 In A Minor: 3. Finale: Rondo. Andantino quasi Allegretto
Music reviews of Paganini: The 6 Violin Concertos
Music Review: After collecting the violin concertos of Mendelssohn, Bruch, Prokofiev, and Bartok, this should be your next purchase.
Rating: 5 Stars
This compilation contains three discs containing all six of Paganini's violin concertos. The soloist, Salvatore Accardo, has at least 150 recordings, according to the Amazon.com web site.
CONCERTO No. 1. The opening theme of ALLEGRO sounds somewhat like the Lone Ranger theme in Rossini's WILLIAM TELL OVERTURE. While Paganini admired Rossini, and had actually performed the WILLIAM TELL OVERTURE (performance of July 17, 1833 in Theater Royal Drury Lane, according to Stratton's book), it should be noted that Paganini composed his Violin Concerto No.1 in 1818, and Rossini composed his overture much later, in 1829. At one minute, 30 seconds, the orchestra provides a "dreamy tune." Then, the faux Lone Ranger theme is repeated. The violin solo makes its entrance at 3 min, 10 sec. The solo provides the "dreamy tune". At 6 min, 35 sec, the violin plays a rapid cat & mouse chasing sequence. In this sequence, the violin uses an interesting jagged technique for descending, from the high register down to the low register. At 11 min, 40 sec, comes a jig motif, where the violin plays 2 notes simultaneously. The "dreamy tune" returns at 14 minutes. At 19 minutes, the violin solo provides an interesting wiggly-squiggly motif, and the solo continues until the very end, providing skittering motifs and glissandos. ADAGIO is slow and exudes a feeling of pathos and drama. The violin plays in the lower register. At 2 min, 30 sec, the full orchestra provides a brief crescendo, reminiscent of an approaching hurricane. RONDO provides, for the first minute, the violin bow bouncing on the strings, while the orchestra generally provides a regular scheme of chugging chords, each chord separated by a tiny interval of silence. At 4 minutes, the violin solo provides a pizzicato motif, sounding like firecrackers. On occasion, a horn provides a 2-note motif that goes, "Ta-taa." RONDO lacks any tunes that might be apparent or discerned by a layperson. (This is in striking contrast to the RONDO in Paganini's Violin Concerto No. 2.)
CONCERTO No. 2. ALLEGRO begins with a "perky tune" played by the woodwinds. At one minute, the strings take over and play the "perky tune." The violin solo makes its entrance at 2 min, 50 sec. At 3 min, 50 sec, the bow bounces on the strings. At 4 min, 40 sec, the violin solo provides the "perky tune" again. At 5 min, 50 sec, the violin solo provides an eerie motif, where two dissonant notes are simultaneously played. Fluttery woodwinds provide a colorful interlude at 7 min, 30 sec. At 9 min, the violin solo provides a sequence sounding like chopping wood (one can almost see the wood chips flying). The "perky theme" returns at 10 min, adn the chopping wood episode returns, and the 2-note dissonant motif is repeated. ADAGIO starts with a cluster of mellow horns. Later, we hear a gentle whispy violin solo. Accompaniment takes the form of an orchestral string pizzicato. The tune of the violin solo is a bit like Borodin's "neverending melody" of Polovtsian Dances - Dance of the Maidens. RONDO is the reason I bought this compilation of the six Paganini violin concertos. RONDO, also known as "La Campanella," contains a tune made famous by Franz Liszt in his SIX GRAND ETUDES AFTER PAGANINI. I have the recording by Andre Watts on the SERAPHIM label. Anyway, RONDO features a little bell (an actual bell). At 3 minutes, 50 seconds, we hear an interesting descending motif. (I like descending motifs in music.) At 4 min, 15 sec, the famous La Campanella tune returns, and stays with us for one minute. La Campanella returns one last time at 8 minutes.
CONCERTO No. 3. ALLEGRO begins with an orchestral pizzicato motif. A jaunty oboe begins a happy tune at 40 seconds into the piece. At 2 minutes, 5 seconds, the jaunty oboe returns with its cocky little tune. At 3 min, 30 sec, comes a dramatic descending episode featuring the full orchestra. At 4 min, 20 sec, we are treated to a lively violin solo punctuated by orchestral pizzicato thumps. The ALLEGRO movement is distinguished by its multitude of special effects from Mr.Accardo's violin: (1) The bow bouncing up and down on a string while bowing; (2) A note changing to another note, by way of a glissando; (3) Violin playing in the extreme upper register, so high that only a dog can hear; (4) Pizzicato episodes; and (5) An almost indescribable special effect that I call a "jiggley-slinky." ADAGIO. This movement also begins with an orchestral pizzicato. The violin plays mainly in the lower register. An orchstral pizzicato goes, "Tra-dah-dah-dah." There is no real tune or melody in this movement. POLACCA. This movement starts out sounding like music for a contra dance. From time to time, there is a brief pizzicato motif that sounds like crackling fireworks. In the entire CONCERTO No. 3, there is no real melody or tune that a layperson could distinguish or hum. However, I very much like the ALLEGRO movement because of the continual array of imaginative posturings by the violin.
CONCERTO No. 4. ALLEGRO begins with a distinctive tune, embellished with a peppering of horn toots, and pizzicato string plucks. The solo violin makes its entrance at 3 minutes and 20 seconds. But for the next few minutes, there is no discernable tune to speak of. At 7 min, 20 sec, there is a clever build-up and climax. At 8 min, 10 sec, there is an attractive descending motif (I like descending motifs). This intriguing descending motif is repeated two minutes later, and yet again at 11 min, 40 sec. At 11 min, 10 sec, there is an attractive jiggley-wiggly motif. At 13 min, 40 sec, there is a pizzicato display, followed by an eerie display of ultra-high notes, a swooping glissando, squiggly-jiggly motifs, and another glissando. ADAGIO begins like a Mahlerian funeral march. The orchestra provides a pizzicato background. At 4 minutes, the sound level picks up, involving horns and drums. All along, the orchestral pizzicato continues. At 5 min, 40 sec, we are again subjected to the brief storm of horns and drums. In RONDO, the solo violin provides a little romping tune, reminiscent of Gilbert & Sullivan's THE FLOWERS THAT BLOOM IN THE SPRING, TRA-LA, HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE KING. At 3 minutes, there is an extended part where the violin plays two notes at once, in the manner of a violin duet. On three occasions, we are treated to an intriguing descending motif (I like descending motifs). The motif of FLOWERS THAT BLOOM IN THE SPRING regurns, and stays with us for a few mintues. From 8 minutes on, comes an intriguing violin episode, sounding like space aliens in flying saucers, where the space alien attack is interrupted at various points by a domestic-sounding 3-note horn toot motif. The space alien motif seems especially suited for the soundtrack of the classic film, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.
CONCERTO No. 5. ALLEGRO starts with drum rolls and a bombastic operatic melody, provided by the orchestra. Little solos are provided by the flute, then oboe. At 3 min, 35 sec, the bombastic operatic tune returns. At 4 min, 45 sec, the violin solo makes its entrance (with that dang-blasted bombastic tune). At 8 min, 55 sec, the violin-provides a unique jiggley-effect. At 9 min, 10 sec, the orchestra provides a much nicer tune. This tune is one that whisks and whirls. At 14 minutes comes a gentle tune similar to that of LET IT BE ME, by the Everly Brothers. At 16 minutes, the whisking and whirling tune returns. But the final seconds of ALLEGRO conclude with a repeat of that irritating bombastic theme. ANDANTE sounds a bit ahead of its time. It sounds like it might have been written in the early 20th century. There is more variety here, and no reliance on musical cliches from Mozart's time. In ANDANTE, the violin provides mainly extended notes (there are no high-velocity lightning-speed riffs to be seen or heard). ANDANTE does not really contain any distinctive tune. Now, are you ready for a description of FINALE? FINALE provides a distinctive dance tune, first from the solo violin, then the same tune from the woodwinds. FINALE is in 3/4 time. At 1 min, 50 sec, we are provided with a little marching band piece, lasting some ten seconds. At 4 min, 20 sec, comes an unusual melange of violin swirls hovering over an orchestral maelstrom. This unusual episode sounds like something from a Carl Stalling cartoon piece. At 7 min, 20 sec, comes a flute episode embellished by strange and relatively quiet gurgling sounds from the solo violin. At 8 min, 20 sec, the flute episode with the gurgling violin is repeated. And again, at 9 min, the flute episode with the gurgling violin repeats once more. The distinctive dance tune returns at the ten minute mark. At any rate, the FINALE has quite a bit of gurgling.
CONCERTO No. 6. RISOLUTO. RISOLUTO is mellow, and the violin doesn't show off too much. At 5 minutes, 45 seconds, the violin engages in a vigorous half-minute jig, which is repeated at 6 min, 45 sec. At 7 1/2 minutes, the orchestra takes over, and Mr.Accardo gets a well-deserved break. At 13 min, 15 sec, the orchestra takes over, providing a galloping motif. At 14 minutes, there is a quiet interlude, and at 14 min, 15 sec, the violin solo returns. This movement has no discernable tune or melody. ADAGIO. The ADAGIO movement begins slowly, sounding Mozartian. The violin often plays in the lower register. At 6 minutes, the full orchestra provides an ominous-sounding wake-up call. RONDO. This movement is a masterpiece of thematic development. The entire piece has this motif: "DA-DAA, 1-2-3-4-5-6, POW-di-di-di-DEE-DEE-DEE." This particular motif is an engaging one, and the listener will delight in the dozens of fascinating variations of this motif. RONDO is an addictive movement.
CONCLUSION. More information on Paganini can be found in a book, NICOLO PAGANINI by Stephan Stratton (1907). The book is available from Amazon.com. It is also provided by Google. From this book, we learn that in the first violin concerto, the solo violin is tuned a semi-note higher and the part is in D, while the orchestra is in E flat (page 164). The book also provides a quote from Berlioz, "He [Paganini] has known how to render distinct and dominating the tones of a solo violin by tuning its four strings a semitone above those of the orchestra, which enabled him to play in the brilliant keys of D and A." (page 138). The author, Mr.Stratton, believes that it is improbable that Paganini or Berlioz were aware that Mozart had used the same technique in Mozart's CONCERTANTE FOR VIOLIN AND VIOLA, where the viola part is in D, but where the orchestra is in E flat(page 138).
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