Salvatore Accardo's Stradivari

... well: I'm speechless... a violin is a violin is a violin, but... a Stradivari in Salvatore Accardo's hands is so vastly much more than a violin!

I today listened to a Rossini and Bottesini disc on Philips, recorded in 1972... members of I Musici chamber orchestra play double-bass, cello, violin with Bruno Canino on piano.

On side 2 there is an 8,45 minutes long piece by Rossini - i.e. "Un Mot a Paganini": Bruno Canino accompanies Salvatore Accardo playing his precious, superb, centuries honed instrument and...

... the music flows effortlessly and you hear The Violin, the Father of all Violins and the sound beautifully serves the music and viceversa.

Overtones, harmonics, a thick, strong voice, mature, complex yet so easy to the ears.

I own an old Brunswick disc, pressed by Decca, "The Glory of Cremona" where Ruggiero Ricci plays several sought after Stradivari, Guarneri del Gesù, Guadagnini and Amati's violins... a masterpiece.

The sound is also top class, so romantic, natural and smooth... yet, the above mentioned single track put to shame every previous solo violin recording I'm aware of: the Philips' recording is very Philips... detailed, airy, ambience is here but not exaggerated, something which must be digested after a recent diet of Decca and Lyritas'.

The Philips' aesthetic is simply wonderful if your system will be able to "understand" the difference between "detailed" and "cold" sound.

If you succeed, well... it's bliss!

On my part, I'll further investigate if other Saccardo/Canino's recordings from early '70s will be able to replicate the pure magic I experienced today.

On your part... well, go and find this very disc.

A tip: please listen first to "Un Mot a Paganini" on side 2.

Yeah!