Ruggiero Ricci - Ruggiero Ricci - Complete American Decca Recordings [CD]

Please Note Not All Our New Items Are Shrink Wrapped.All items shipped within 3 working days of payment.Several legendary but long-unavailable recordings freshly remastered in a comprehensive u2018original coversu2019 boxset of Ruggiero Ricciu2019s recordings made for American Decca during the 1960s and issued collectively for the first time.rrWith definitive accounts of the Tchaikovsky Concerto and the Paganini Caprices recorded in 1950, Ruggiero Ricci became established as a Decca artist in the early days of LP. A decade later he began recording for Deccau2019s American division, and between 1960 and 1970 he made nine albums of solo, recital and concerto repertoire which are gathered here in one set for the first time.

rrRicci had already recorded some of the solo Bach sonatas and partitas, but in 1967 he made his first complete set for American Decca. Tully Potteru2019s illuminating booklet essay explains how a snowstorm forced Ricci to hole up in a hotel for several days prior to the sessions, and his devoted his time to perfecting his interpretations of Bach.

rrRicci was renowned for the astonishing virtuosity that enabled him to tackle the Caprices and Concertos of Paganini without breaking sweat u2013 he became the first great exponent of the composer in the LP era with his Decca recordings u2013 and he remade the Second Concerto for American Decca in 1964 with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra conducted by Max Rudolf: one of several albums here receiving its first international release on CD.

rrThe American Decca legacy of Ricci also included several u2018concept albumsu2019 which soon became collectoru2019s items. The set opens with the first of them from 1964, on which the violinist plays The Four Seasons of Vivaldi on four different Strads, one for each concerto, with a string ensemble fielding another ten Strads for a uniquely rich string sound.

rrTwo years earlier, Ricci had made u201cThe Glory of Cremonau201d, which saw him play fifteen priceless violins in sessions attended by two security guards. Even these two projects pale beside the astonishing virtuosity on display in u201cBravura!u201d, which collects some of Ricciu2019s favourite u201cknuckle-breakersu201d by Paganini, Wieniawski and Ernst. rrThe set closes with another album new to CD, u201cViolin Plus 1u201d from 1970, which paired Ricci with five different musicians for a unique display of his versatility, accompanying soprano Lee Venora in Villa-Lobos, taking the spotlight in a Saint-Saens Fantaisie for violin and harp, and meeting David Nadien as an equal in the Sonata for Two Violins by Prokofiev. As well as one of the last centuryu2019s most spell-binding technicians on the violin, Ricci was a complete musician, to whom this set pays eloquent tribute.

rru201cHe plays most beautifully in both works, displaying a silvery, lustrous tone and a lean, assertive, bravura style.u201d High Fidelity, May 1965 (Paganini, Saint-Saxebns concertos)

rru201cRicci is his customary virtuoso self, yet perhaps even more admirable for his variety of tonal colouring than for his sheer technical dexterity u2026 [an] imaginatively chosen, scintillatingly played, and powerfully recorded program.u201d Stereo Review, March 1966 (Paganini, Saint-Saxebns concertos)

rru201cAltogether brilliant performances here. The warmth of his tone on the G string, the clarity of his harmonics, his clean spiccato bowing, and the overall Hispanic quality of his glowing interpretations add up to superlative fiddling.u201d High Fidelity, May 1962 (Sarasate)

rru201cRicci plays with fervour and sparkling buoyancy throughout u2026 Decca's sound is pure and gleaming.u201d High Fidelity, July 1962 (Kreisler)

rru201cThis recording is one that all fiddle fanciers will insist on having u2026 Ricci plays everything with gorgeous tone and impeccable technique.u201d Stereo Review, February 1964 (u201cThe Glory of Cremonau201d)

VIVALDI: Concertos For Violin, Strings And Continuo, Op. 8 Nos. 1u20134 u2018Le Quattro Stagioniu2019 (The Four Seasons)

PAGANINI: Violin Concerto No. 2 In B Minor, Op. 7

JS BACH: Sonata No. 1 In G Minor For Solo Violin, BWV 1001*

JS BACH: Partita No. 2 In D Minor For Solo Violin, BWV 1004

SARASATE: 8 Danzas Espanolas

KREISLER: Praeludium And Allegro u2018in The Style Of Pugnaniu2019

THE GLORY OF CREMONA ~ JEAN-ANTOINE DESPLANES: Intrada

BRAVURA! ~ PIETRO LOCATELLI: Capriccio (from The Harmonic Labyrinth, Op. 3 No. 12)

VIOLIN PLUS 1 ~ VIVALDI: Sonata In A Major For Violin And Continuo, Op. 2 No. 2, RV 31

Siciliano And Rigaudon u2018in The Style Of Francoeuru2019

PIETRO NARDINI: Larghetto [Adagio]

PAGANINI: Introduction And Variations On u2018Nel Cor Pixf9 Non Mi Sentou2019 For Solo Violin

SAINT-SAENS: Fantaisie For Violin And Harp, Op. 124

Chanson Louis XIII And Pavane u2018in The Style Of Couperinu2019

VIVALDI: Preludio (from Violin Sonata In C Minor, Op. 2 No. 7, RV 8)

ERNST: Airs Hongrois Varies, Op. 22

PAGANINI: Sonata No. 12 In E Minor For Violin And Guitar, Op. 3 No. 6

SAINT-SAENS: Violin Concerto No. 1 In A Major, Op. 20

Rondino On A Theme By Beethoven

PAGANINI: Cantabile E Valser, Op. 19

VON VECSEY: Caprice No. 1: Le Vent

VILLA-LOBOS: Suite For Voice And Violin

Partita No. 1 In B Minor For Solo Violin, BWV 1002

Variations On A Theme By Corelli u2018in The Style Of Tartiniu2019

MOZART: Adagio (from Piano Sonata No. 4 In E Flat Major, KV 282, Arr. Friedberg)

WIENIAWSKI: Les Arpeges u2013 Variations Sur Lu2019Hymne Autrichien

PROKOFIEV: Sonata For Two Violins In C Major, Op. 56

Sonata No. 3 In C Major For Solo Violin, BWV 1005

Recitativo And Scherzo-Caprice, Op. 6 (for Solo Violin)

KABALEVSKY: Improvisation For Violin And Piano, Op. 21 No. 1

PAGANINI: Variations On A Theme Of Joseph Weigl

Caprice Viennois

TCHAIKOVSKY: Melodie In E Flat Major, Op. 42 No. 3 (from Souvenir Du2019un Lieu Cher)

ERNST: Variations On u2018The Last Rose Of Summeru2019 For Solo Violin

Tambourin Chinois

VERACINI: Largo (from Violin Sonata In A Major, Op. 2 No. 6)

PAGANINI: Variations On u2018God Save The Kingu2019 For Solo Violin, Op. 9

Introduction Et Tarantelle, Op. 43

Liebesfreud

VON PARADIS: Sicilienne

Caprice Basque, Op. 24

Liebesleid

HUBAY: Violin Solo, Op. 40a (from The Violin Maker Of Cremona)

Serenata Andaluza, Op. 28

Schon Rosmarin

HANDEL: Andante (from Flute Sonata In B Minor, HWV 367b. Arr. As u2018Larghettou2019 By Hubay)

La Gitana

SCHUMANN: Romance In A Major, Op. 94 No. 2 (arr. Kreisler)

Sonata No. 2 In A Minor For Solo Violin, BWV 1003

Partita No. 3 In E Major For Solo Violin, BWV 1006

The Old Refrain

BRAHMS: Hungarian Dance No. 20 In E Minor, WoO 1 (arr. Kreisler)

La Chasse u2018in The Style Of Cartieru2019

Hungarian Dance No. 17 In F Sharp Minor WoO 1 (arr. Kreisler)

u2018Meet The Mastersu2019 u2013 Ruggiero Ricci Interviewed By Victor Alexander

MENDELSSOHN: Lied Ohne Worte, Op. 62 No. 1: Andante Espressivo u2018May Breezesu2019 (arr. Kreisler)

BRUCH: Violin Concerto No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 26 (excerpt) u2013 Played On 15 Different Violins

• Product Type: AUDIO CD
• Barcode: 28948419883

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