Cotick's Caprices

Paganini: Capriccio Tomas Cotik, violin. Monica Ohuchi, piano (tracks 1 & 19) Centaur 4130 Total Time:  77:05 Recording:   ****/**** Performance: ***/****

In this latest release from violinist Tomas Cotik, we are treated to an exploration of the violin by one of the first great virtuoso performers on the instrument, Niccolo Paganini (1782-1840).  The legend and myths surrounding Paganini made him the perfect inspiration for 19^th Century composers that came after him.  Whether he indeed made a pact with the devil or not, there is no denying the great richness of musical technique that he brought to the instrument that changed expectations for what it could achieve.  The personal project for Cotik, was a way to provide some unique challenges to strive toward and sits outside many of his solo Baroque releases.

The current album, Capriccio, is not a complete reading of the 24 pieces that bear that name from Paganini’s Opus 1, but an overall goodly selection from that collection first published in 1820 (nos. 1, 2, 5, 6, 9- 11, 13-14, 16, 18, 20-24).  Several included dedications to great violinists of his day.  While those with more pyrotechnics tend to grab the imagination, Cotik reminds us that the lyrical works such as the g-minor caprice (No. 6) provide the challenge of that skill of melody and self-accompaniment sustained across over 8 minutes.  Each of the pieces presents its own unique challenges (double stops, extended trilling, up-bow and flying staccato segments, reverse bowing techniques, ricochet bowing, left-hand pizzicato, and more).  The collection is a sort of soupcon of ways to create sound, all within the tonal idiom of the day.  It is interesting to also hear some other instrumental effects (like drones to simulate bagpipes) that are quite fascinating amidst all the other intricate arpeggiations and other passage work requirements across the pieces here.  The most famous of the caprices, No. 24, brings us to the close of the survey.

The album is bookended with pieces for violin and piano.  First is a beautiful Cantabile in D, Op. 17.  The album concludes with the Sonata a preghiera, Op. 24 (Moses Fantasy).  Monica Ohuchi proves to be a sympathetic accompanist here and these outer tracks are equally fine. 

While it is often the case that the entire set of caprices are released, we get seventeen of them here and perhaps the rest are on the way as part of a follow-up.  The performances here are all engaging and violin enthusiasts can marvel at Cotik’s technique here.  Overall, these are more measured and mature readings of these pieces that bring out more of the musical qualities.  The standard here is still Mi Dori’s on CBS made when she was 17 (!) released in 1988, but listeners will also have their favorites in this repertoire.  Cotik’s is a solid release that continues to build upon a strong catalogue of releases.