Nicolò Paganini
60 Variations on Barucabà op. 14 for Violin and Guitar
Nicolò Paganini numbers among the few musicians who attained fame by playing and writing for only a single instrument. His works for violin solo are unique, and his appearances as virtuoso fascinated audiences from the very beginning. Yet, in addition to the violin, Paganini also learned to play the guitar as a child. And before travelling throughout the world he must have got to know the Genoese song “Barucaba” in his hometown of Genoa, writing his op. 14 Variations for violin and guitar upon this song in 1835. We were able to engage musicologist Alberto Cantù and violinist Renato De Barbieri as editors of our Urtext edition of this chamber music work. Barbieri’s helpful fingerings in the violin part round off the edition.
About the Composer
Nicolò Paganini
Violin virtuoso and composer of violin music of a unique and virtuosic character. He composed numerous works for violin and orchestra, pieces for solo violin, and chamber music for violin and guitar, as well as other chamber works. In pieces for the G string, like his Sonata Napoleone and Sonata Militare, he experiments with tone colors (harmonics and pizzicato for the left hand).
| 1782 | Born in Genoa on October 27, the son of a harbor worker and amateur musician. First musical education from his father, then from professional violinists. |
| from 1794 | Concerts in churches and for private audiences. Studies composition in Parma with Paer and Gasparo Ghiretti. He writes a great deal of music for guitar. |
| 1795 | Performance in Genoa of the Polish violinist Duranowski, who inspires Paganini. |
| 1801–09 | He lives in Lucca: there in 1805 he becomes first violinist of the city’s Cappella Nazionale. |
| before 1818 | Twenty-four Caprices, Op. 1 (published 1820), which inaugurate the genre of the concert etude. |
| 1805–09 | He composes 45 sonatas. |
| 1810–24 | First concert tour through Italy. |
| 1813–1815 | Guitar Quartets, Op. 4 and Op. 5 |
| 1816 | Violin Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 6: conventional concerto–sonata form with very virtuosic passages for the solo instrument. |
| 1825–27 | Second concert tour of Italy. |
| 1826/28 | Violin Concertos No. 2 (B minor, Op. 7) and No. 3 in E major. |
| 1828–34 | Spectacular performances in European cities. |
| 1830 | Publication of a Paganini biography by Julius Schottky. Violin Concertos No. 4 (D minor) and No. 5 (A minor). |
| 1837 | The long-term establishment in Paris of a concert establishment, the Casino Paganini, fails. |
| 1840 | Death in Nice on May 27. |
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Further editions of this title
Further editions of this title
