American violinist Soovin Kim has been packing them in at the concert halls of late, and Cleveland-based label Azica Records' release Soovin Kim, Niccolò Paganini: 24 Caprices provides an easy grasp of the why and how of this phenomenon. From the first note in these Caprices this recording pricks up one's attention; "gosh this guy is good" will be one immediate response, but a secondary one will probably be "this is very musical as well." Kim certainly does not serve slightly cold, warmed over Paganini here; these caprices ...
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American violinist Soovin Kim has been packing them in at the concert halls of late, and Cleveland-based label Azica Records' release Soovin Kim, Niccolò Paganini: 24 Caprices provides an easy grasp of the why and how of this phenomenon. From the first note in these Caprices this recording pricks up one's attention; "gosh this guy is good" will be one immediate response, but a secondary one will probably be "this is very musical as well." Kim certainly does not serve slightly cold, warmed over Paganini here; these caprices are rich with feeling in addition to being fleet and dazzling in a pyrotechnic sense. Kim, a frequent flyer at the Marlboro Music Festival and already a seasoned concert artist, does not seem to have recorded on his own before, and Azica deserves credit for recording him well -- the full tone of the violin is captured in a slightly reverberated space that deadens the scrape of the instrument and helps to provide body. However, Mr. Kim provides the rest, and it's something else;...
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