Ruggiero Ricci made the first commercial recording of Paganini’s complete Op. 1 Caprices in 1947, reissued here in a transfer effected, I wager, from an LP processed through an effective noise reduction system. By and large, the performances have not worn well. Granted, some of the playing is spectacular, with Paganini’s cruel cross-bow and spiccato effects dispatched with reckless daring. Many of the lyrical pieces, though, lack the involvement, singing impulse, and devilish streak distinguishing later versions from Rabin, Perlman, Mintz and, yes, Ricci himself. Likewise, Ricci’s intonation is alarmingly uneven, notably in the bowed unison and octave department. All in all, this is a release whose appeal probably will be limited to specialists with an interest in Ricci.
