Niccolò Paganini's violin and guitar duets are pleasant diversions that most listeners will find quite agreeable in small doses; yet only the true aficionado or dedicated violin student would find a comprehensive set of all these works necessary or desirable. This nine-disc set of the complete sonatas, duets, and variations offers more than anyone might need, and it is perhaps most suitable for serious collections and libraries. Violinist
Luigi Alberto Bianchi and guitarist Maurizio Preda deliver these charming pieces with polish, warmth, and intimacy, and they are quite entertaining. Paganini's music is amiable and lighthearted, more relaxed and convivial than it is in the famous Caprices (24) or in his other intensely virtuosic showpieces. The violin part overflows with lyricism and humor, and it is often matched in expressiveness and vivacity by the transparent guitar accompaniment. However, the consistency of textures, tones, and timbres begins to wear on perusal of the discs, and delight quickly turns into mild boredom. Anyone acquainted with the 1994 DGG release Paganini for Two by
Gil Shaham and
Göran Söllscher may have already determined that an album of selections is preferable to a compendium. Recorded between 1985 and 2003, Dynamic's sound is splendid and remarkably constant for such a long time span.