This is a most interesting and rewarding performance of a technical
Mount Everest of the solo-violin repertoire, which offers a
new perspective on almost every Caprice. Zehetmair has a well-deserved
reputation as an innovative violinist who shuns status quo
interpretations in favour of musical realisations that, although
sometimes startling, are nevertheless always thoughtful and
thought-provoking. The present recording is no exception; and,
although some listeners, lay or otherwise, may prefer the refined
polish of, for example, Itzhak Perlman’s very fine recording
for EMI, or the measured precision of Salvatore Accardo for
Deutsche Grammophon, this CD should be in the collection of
every enthusiast of the violin literature, presenting as it
does an excitingly alternative view of these works.
What is particularly exciting about these performances is the
fact that Zehetmair very often decorates the repeats or the
return of the first theme in rondo-type Caprices – for instance,
in no.15, in which chords are realised as ricochet arpeggios;
or in nos. 9 and 13, where double-stopped artificial harmonics
are employed. Also striking is the fact that every Caprice is
treated primarily as a vehicle for musical expression, rather
than simply as a means of displaying technical prowess – indeed,
Zehetmair seems always to be aware of the bel canto tradition
in the context of which Paganini wrote these works (as may also
be heard in the Violin Concertos and in virtuoso variation-type
works such as I Palpiti). The one very slight quibble
is that the faster Caprices sometimes slightly lose their sense
of pulse; the Agitato section of no.5 is an example.
It’s a shame, too, that the repeat of the Caprice is omitted,
especially as Paganini specified two varieties of bowing: spiccato
and jété – one to be used in each playing.
The booklet (in German and English) contains a fascinating interview
with Zehetmair, in which he describes his approach to the Caprices
and also discusses Paganini’s playing, the impact it had on
his audiences, and his influence on violinists since. It’s refreshing,
too, that the image of Paganini reproduced therein is not one
of the all-too-familiar portraits that decorate countless CDs
of this type. A small point, perhaps – but nevertheless indicative
of the approach and the philosophy of this recording.
Em Marshall
Thomas Zehetmair (violin) 
