Salvatore Accardo

Listening to Salvatore Accardo is like watching a master jeweler work under a magnifying glass. There is a terrifying level of precision in his playing, particularly in his legendary interpretations of Paganini, yet it never feels clinical. Instead, his sound is imbued with a specifically Italian sense of 'bel canto' lyricism, making the violin sing even during the most punishingly difficult passages.

What sets him apart is the sheer physical presence of his instruments. Playing on some of the world's finest Stradivarius violins, Accardo coaxes out a tonal palette that ranges from a silver, crystalline shimmer in the high register to a woody, resonant growl on the lower strings. His technique is so secure that the listener can stop worrying about the difficulty of the music and simply inhabit the emotional space he creates.

Start with his recordings of the Paganini Caprices or the Violin Concertos. These are the benchmarks of his career, showcasing the perfect marriage of 19th-century bravura and 20th-century recording clarity. It is music that demands your full attention and rewards it with a sense of awe.