Review Summary: Literally classic!
The other day I was reflecting, remembering my teenage years and how while I was well into my metal, I started growing interest for classical music. You know when you listen a bit to power metal and guitar heroes it's not a big step moving to classical. Malmsteen has done it, Uli Jon Roth has done it... Then there was Deep Purple and Metallica a little bit later...
This month I remembered the exact moment I walked out from a record store with a CD of recordings of Paganini's Caprices and a CD of Tchaikovsky. I don't know what happened to them or what editions were they and who featured in them, I just vaguely remember the Paganini's one cover. Sorry about the unnecessary lengthy intro, but while remembering that I've decided to buy some music on-line and This coincided with Nina Kotova's - Tchaikovsky release.
I mean who could have possibly deliver these composition's better that an Orchestra that live's and breathes Tchaikovsky, to the point they named them selves the Tchaikovsky Orchestra! And the soloist, oh Lord she can play... And a little research revealed that she's been performing these numbers since she was 15, wicked!
Can't recall how many times I got shivers while listening to the recording... Pezzo capriccioso connotes capriciousness in the sense that there are multiple changes in musical character in the score. The work’s introduction opens with a dramatic line after which the mood changes into a captivating lyrical melody followed by alternating thematic material of ornate refinement, changes from minor to major, running passages and broad lyrical lines in the solo cello part. This character brings to mind the expression of ‘light sadness,’ a term coined by Pushkin to describe the Russian soul. The middle section and coda are contrasting and highly virtuoso-like with shimmering spiccato and scherzo-like rhythmic elements. The solo cello part ends with a crescendo culminating with a dizzying passage in the third octave.
If you are into your Classical music, make sure you won't miss this one