Shmuel Ashkenasi's Paganini

The first blog post of the new year comes in response to the total inspiration that is Israeli violinist Shmuel Ashkenasi (b. 1941). Having recently met a former pupil of his who raved about him, I listened to his recording of Paganini's Concertos 1 & 2 (with the Vienna Symphony under Heribert Esser, 1969). Wow. WOW! How can this recording have slipped under the radar of someone authoring a Paganini book for so many years? During that time I have been listening to Salvatore Accardo, Alexander Markov, and Shlomo Mintz (whose recording of the 24 Caprices I grew up with). I would rate Ashkenasi as up there with those ultra-Paganinians - in fact he studied with Ilona Feher, the teacher of Mintz - because he has a quality to his playing that makes you go, "well, that is just ridiculous." I could practise for a million years and still not play those double harmonics like he does. Or downbow staccato. Or ricochet. He also manages to deliver Paganini's music *as music*, somehow -- and not just as a technical exercise. I'm wondering how I can get to hear him live... and wish for violinists everywhere a fantastic year of feeling as blown away as I do right now. Happy 2012, everyone!