I hope you're being facetious here!

I'll 2nd Daniel's vote ... although Paganini is quite unique and a virtuoso of the violin, something about that music grates on my nerves ... I guess what is a beautiful rose for some is fertilizer for others. LOL! Not knocking Paganini nor those who love his music mind you ... but there are worse ones out there.

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Krummhorn
Assistant Administrator

he's alright. i have a recording of midori playing him...there's now better violinist out there.

Paganini is pretty cool.

Haven't heard enough to really form an opinion...

Some songs off the radio, and my boyfriend's CD of Itzhak Perlman playing something completely insane that sounds like it's two people.

Hardly comprehensive exposure, but what I've heard, I tend to like.

Put me in the "unique" column. He defies ready comparison with any who had come before him, and comparison with those who came after were on account of a semblance of emulation. To me, that counts as "unique." I can't quite say "he rules." Twin deities sit atop my musical pantheon, and the term "rules" is one I reserve for them.

As for the visual element in Paganini's performance, I've read that he made it appear so effortless. (Source- Morin ed. Classical Music). Apparently, not for him the "unsightly deep knee bends" which are so excoriated by pedagogue Henry Roth.
Among purely solo works, the Caprices might hold the place of highest esteem in my collection.

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The hardest knife ill us'd doth lose his edge. Shakespeare- Sonnet 95

Not only are they very good, but also were first of a kind. (Well... L'arte dall'arco was before, but it's not the same as the caprices ).


Do you remember the name of the piece?

The Duo Merveille comes to my mind, but I don't really know if Perlman recorded it. It's a Duo, for violin solo...

For more crazy works (ridiculously difficult) I suggest
Paganini: Nel cor piu non mi sento variations. Of which violinists record two versions: the original one (Accardo, Kogan...) and the Prihoda arr. (Prihoda, Ricci, Repin).
Paganini: God save the King variations.
Ernst: Six polyphonic etudes. Of which the 6th is just impossible, but lovable.

And one of my favs, even though is not the best one, I know, is Saint-Lubin's Fantasy on the sextet of Lucia di Lammermoor.

Paganini's guitar works are available on the Arts label, in three volumes, played by Frederic Zigante.

Manuel: don't know if Perlamn recorded the duo, but I've the Accardo recording
and it doesen't sound too difficult. Is a game of bow and left hand pizzicatto, but nothing as hard as other similars on other works.

I have the Accardo too. I'm pretty sure it's very hard. You need to play pizzicato and bow at the same time. Left hand pizzicato while bowing means you use the fingers on your left hand to make the notes with the strings and to pluck them.

I think Paganini serves his purpose as a showpiece for the beginning of a recital or something, but I can't imagine playing him for an entire concert; he gets old after a few minutes.

There are more boring ones out there.