Caprice, violinist
David Garrett's 2014 release on Decca, is a lively collection of crossover pieces that reflect his roles as a classically trained virtuoso and a populizer of many kinds of music. It's a balancing act that has great appeal for a large audience of casual listeners, and
Garrett communicates both energy and excitement in his elaborate arrangements of music by the Romantic violinist par excellence,
Niccolò Paganini, giving a contemporary sound to the Caprice No. 24, La campanella, Carnival of Venice, and other spectacular showpieces. He also includes his own lavish versions of themes from
Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake,
Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2,
Mozart's Rondo alla Turca, Wieniawski's Capriccio tarantella, and a smattering of flashy updates of old favorites. To add variety to the program,
Garrett has also invited tenor
Andrea Bocelli, pop vocalist
Nicole Scherzinger, and guitarist Steve Morris, whose name recognition will draw in their fans. Of course,
Garrett's unabashed showmanship and crowd-pleasing renditions of the classics will never win over purists, but since he makes no secret that he is an entertainer and not an academic, few listeners will feel misled. Instead, they will probably recognize much of the music here, and appreciate
Garrett's intentions, if not always the results. ~ Blair Sanderson