Paganini: Music for Guitar and Viola

Although best remembered for his eccentric personality and extraordinary playing, Niccolò Paganini was also an excellent composer. Indeed, he was a man of two halves: the consummate performer who stunned (and shocked) concert halls with his sheer virtuosity, and the thoughtful musician who composed intimate chamber music for domestic settings. It is this second Paganini that is the focus of this release, which features two specially transcribed works for viola and guitar (originally for violin) alongside one of the composers original works for this combination of instruments. The works are significant in that they record Paganinis deep affection for the guitar, whose role alters during the course of the recital: relegated to simple accompaniment that provides timbral and harmonic support in the Six Sonatas MS26, in the Sonata concertata it contrastingly partakes in the melody and virtuosic brilliance (Gramaglias transcription for viola here bringing to the fore the intrinsic balance of the work, with the overlapping of the timbres creating a sound tapestry of great intimacy). The use of the viola throughout the compilation also highlights the extent to which Paganini helped to expand this instruments repertoire; this is particularly evident in the Sonata per la Grand Viola MS70, an original work for the instrument whose brilliance reflects its ultimate destination for the concert hall, the composer using the guitar as a means of working out the orchestration for the later concerto.