Ilya Gringolts - Solo (2000)

Ilya Gringolts made a splash with his CD of the Paganini D Major Concerto, so it's no surprise that he excels in these fiendishly difficult solo pieces, including one of his own. His playing is dazzling, secure even in the most tortuous passages. The Hindemith sonatas are abstract, anti-Romantic works. These days, they've lost some of their shock value, but it still surprises when the violin sings a Mozart melody at the start of the last movement of Op.31 No.2, a set of ingenious variations on the tune. Schnittke's A Paganini dates from 1982 (the year of Gringolt's birth) and is a fascinating postmodern take on Romantic virtuosity. The Ysaÿe sonatas, two of six written in 1924 portraying prominent virtuosos, test a fiddler's skills. Gringolts passes with honors, taking the famous No. 3 (Ballade) even faster than another teenage whiz, Leila Josefowicz, on Philips. Here's a disc for fans of bravura violinism. -- Dan Davis