Kalinkovich Concerto Capriccio Theme of Paganini Sergey Kolesov (saxophone) Elena Grinevich (piano)

A very famous saxophone work, Concerto Capriccio on a Theme of Paganini. The music from CD disc “Ritorno“. The title of this CD Ritorno, inspired by the Italian word for return, contains a wide range of implied meanings, all of which formed the basis for the selection of compositions presented on this disk. The selection of compositions represents a kind of arch of musical eras whereby in each piece there is a reliance on earlier musical material, rethought in varying degrees by modern-day composers or arrangers. The works presented here in Ritorno were all created during the second half of the 20th century. During this period one of the distinctive stylistic traits was a dialogue with the music repertoire of the past, incorporating earlier sonorities, allusions, and even full quotations. As an example, Grigory Kalinkovich’s Capriccio on a Theme by Paganini, follows a tradition established by Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms, Sergei Rachmaninov, and Witold Lutosławski, by making use of Niccolò Paganini’s Caprice, No. 24 in A minor. The transformation of its main theme has developed it into an icon of virtuosic variations. In this version the combination of Soviet retro style harmony and the timbre of the saxophone produce some unexpected results.