Violinist Rachel Barton Pine tackles Paganini's 24 Caprices and emerges mostly intact

It took Niccolo Paganini 15 years to write his 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Op. 1, which pushed the possibilities of the instrument into undreamed-of realms. Nearly two centuries later, with all the developments in violin technique, the Caprices are still so challenging that few violinists venture out on the concert platform with them. Though obligatory works for upper-level conservatory students, their difficulties keep them mostly confined to the practice room.They were published with a dedica...