Niccolò Paganini

Niccolò Paganini's name has become the byword for the virtuoso instrumentalist whom seemingly defies all known laws of physical dexterity. He was born in Genoa in 1782 and in his early career he worked for the Napoleonic family in Lucca and Tuscany before embarking on a career as a touring musician, one that scaled new heights unparalled in the history of music and an inspiration for future composer-virtuosos including Chopin, Liszt and Fritz Kreisler. Audiences across Europe were in awe of Paganini's technique which was aided by his natural flair as a showman.

Paganini perferred perfoming his own compositions which he used to highlight his virtuosity. He did commission Berlioz to write him a concerto, who provided him with Harold in Italy, which Paganini disliked and never performed. Paganini's work included six violin concertos, numerous shorter pieces and most famously of all the, 24 Caprices. It is through Paganini's compositions that we can get a true sense of how great a violinist he was, as they deploy a range of formidable effects which are difficult to bring off even by the high standards of today's violin playing. Paganini also wrote good tunes although in the concertos the orchestral parts are unimaginative (as they are in Chopin's two Piano Concertos) and the rhythms are decidedly four-square. Nevertheless the Concertos have remained extremely popular to both violinists and audiences. More substantial are the 24 Caprices, an electrifying tour-de-force of violin playing capped by the immortal 24th Caprice which has provided musical inspiration for such composers as Brahms, Rachmaninov and in the twentieth century Andrew Lloyd-Webber (used as the theme tune to ITV's long running arts programme, The South Bank Show).

Paganini's punishing tour schedule and 'pop star' lifestyle had a damaging effect on his already weak consitution - he was never a healthy man - and this forced his retirement from the concert platform in 1834, concentrating from thereon in providing instruction to other instrumentalists. Following a disastrous investment in a casino venture, Paganini retired to Nice where he died in 1840.

Key Works: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 - 6, Duos for Violin and Guitar, 24 Caprices, Moto perpetuo

Key Artists: Salvatore Accardo, Arthur Grumiaux, Itzhak Perlman, Michael Rabin, Gil Shaham, Göran Söllscher