Salvatore Accardo - Paganini: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 (2016)

The Genoese violinist Niccolò Paganini revolutionised violin playing more than anyone before him or since. He was a brilliant individualist who inexorably progressed from a small Italian province to achieve global success. His sensational technical innovations and his striking imitations of the sounds of other instruments are legendary. It seems virtually impossible for today’s musicians to recreate the magic of Paganini’s multi-faceted playing. However, Salvatore Accardo, born in Torino in 1941, emerged early on to become the champion of Paganini's legacy. Probably the greatest Italian violinist of his generation, Accardo was already playing Paganini’s complete 24 Capricci Op.1 in public by the age of 13. After winning several prestigious music competitions, he began his international career in the late 1960s, recording for leading record labels and becoming a distinguished teacher. Ernest Bour conducted recordings of the former Symphony Orchestra of the Southwestern Broadcasting Corporation in Baden-Baden (Südwestfunk, SWF), and was well known for his focus on accuracy, clarity of form and elegance – all aspects that corresponded perfectly with Accardo’s own musical approach.