Search - Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst, Henryk Wieniawski :: Ernst: 6 Polyphonic Studies; Wieniawski: Caprices

Not Exactly Milstein - But Not That Bad

teva_man | United States | 01/24/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ruggiero Ricci was definitely not at the level of Milstein or Heifetz - and his playing deteriorated at a fairly young age (even in his 60s, he wasn't sounding good anymore, while Milstein was sounding better than ever at age 83). I enjoyed this disc much more than the dozens of Ricci concerto recordings that I've heard over the years. No, the technique is not perfect and the intonation is often pretty marginal. But given that Ricci was known for his interpretations of Paganiniesque works, this first-ever recording of "L'Ecole Moderne" and the Ernst Polyphonic Studies (some of which have been recorded individually in the past, like #6, "The Last Rose of Summer") this CD is definitely worth a listen. I learned a few of the L'Ecole etudes as a student - they aren't great musically and sure, they are "studies" (unlike the Paganini Caprices which are nearly all appropriate for recitals). The Ernst etudes, except maybe "The Last Rose", are never played these days, mainly because Ernst wasn't a real strong composer and except for "Last Rose" and "Erlkonig", he's pretty much remained in oblivion. If you're gonna listen to any Ricci, this is one disc of his that would be worth looking into. As aforementioned, I don't recommend many of his recordings made after about 1970; he wasn't sounding good anymore.

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