Caprice No.24 (c.1805)

The greatest violinist of his time, Paganini was also one of the most influential composers, not so much because of the quality of his musical invention as because of his phenomenal command of violin technique. What he could do with the violin, both as a performer and as a composer, was such a revelation that greater composers – not least piano specialists like Schumann and Liszt – were inspired to emulate his breakthrough achievements in other areas. In a work like his famous Twenty-Four Caprices for unaccompanied violin the technical interest is such that it transcends mere virtuosity.

The last of the Twenty-Four Capricesis virtuoso in every sense. Based on a theme which has since fascinated generations of later composers – Liszt, Brahms, Rachmaninov, and Lutoslawksi most prominent among them – it explores a challenging variety of left-hand and bowing techniques in a series of eleven short variations and a brilliant finale.

arrasnged for violin and piano by Leopold Auer (1845–1930)

The greatest violinist of his time, Paganini was also one of the most influential composers, not so much because of the quality of his musical invention as because of his phenomenal command of violin technique. What he could do with the violin, both as a performer and as a composer, was such a revelation that greater composers – not least piano specialists like Schumann and Liszt – were inspired to emulate his breakthrough achievements in other areas. In a work like his famous Twenty-Four Caprices for unaccompanied violin the technical interest is such that it transcends mere virtuosity.

The last of the Twenty-Four Caprices is virtuoso in every sense. Based on a theme which has since fascinated generations of later composers – Liszt, Brahms, Rachmaninov, and Lutoslawksi most prominent among them – it explores a challenging variety of left-hand and bowing techniques in a series of eleven short variations and a brilliant finale. Among the more remarkable events are the double-stopped and multi-stopped variations – octaves in variation No.3, third and tenths in No.6, three-note chords in No.8 – the rapidly alternating left-hand pizzicato and bowed notes in No.9 and the high-lying melodic line of No.10. In today’s performance the 24th Caprice will be played in a version by the influential Hungarian violinist Leopold Auer, who added not only a piano accompaniment but also a short introduction and his own finale while taking it upon himself to modify the violin part in just about every variation.