Thursday, November 12, 2015

Paganini's 24 Caprices

Last time we looked at violin virtuoso Nicolò Paganini and his rise to stardom. Today, let’s focus in on Paganini as a composer. Did you know that he was known to write challenging works that he could then learn to play for his own concerts?

Paganini’s famous 24 Caprices is for solo violin and acts as a set of etudes, each displaying a different skill. The works are quite challenging and have influenced many violin students since their completion. Several composers have even used the 24th Caprice as inspiration for their own works. Below, you can listen to Paganini’s original, followed by a Brahms’ and Rachmaninoff’s variations.