Paganini’s 24 Caprices on Double Bass

Reuben Ramos, Brookline resident, has undertaken, over the past three years, to learn Nicolo Paganini’s iconic 24 Caprices for Solo Violin on the largest of the orchestral string instruments, the double bass. Very few violinists have mastered the full set of the Caprices and no bassist has ever performed more than one or two rather heavily abridged transcriptions. This is Mr. Ramos’s first public performance of this repertoire, and he is faithful to Pagaini’s first Opus. Rather than adapt the music to the “needs” of his instrument, he has expanded the possibilities of his instrument to meet the challenge of the Caprices. In scaling this Everest of the virtuoso repertoire, Reuben Ramos redefines what is possible on the double bass and radically resets the bar for virtuoso playing on his instrument. Mr. Ramos is also a special needs individual, and audience members should bring goodwill and patience when viewing his performance.