Composer

Niccolò Paganini

Italian violinist and composer (1782–1840)

1782–1840

461 works and musical collections

Born: 1782
Died: 1840
Birthplace: Genoa
Place of death: Nice
Citizenship / historical state: Republic of Genoa
Period (estimated from birth year): Romantic

Biography

Paganini rewrote what a violin could do and left a catalogue that is still, two centuries later, the boundary of the instrument's technique.

The 24 Caprices, Op. 1 are the central work and are professional repertoire — the twenty-fourth is the famous one, and it is not a starting point. The violin concerti are equally demanding. What is approachable is the guitar music: he played guitar seriously and wrote a large body of sonatas and duos for violin and guitar that sit at a genuinely amateur level.

Editions of the Caprices differ in bowing and fingering, which on this music is most of the interpretation. Free scans of the original are available and are unmarked; for study, an edited edition is worth having.

Life and musical career

Occupations: classical composer; violinist; violin virtuoso; violist; guitarist; composer; chapelmaster
Teachers: Ferdinando Paër; Alessandro Rolla; Gasparo Ghiretti; Rodolphe Kreutzer
Instruments played: violin; viola; guitar
Genres: art music
Notable works: 24 Caprices for Solo Violin; Violin Concerto No. 1; Violin Concerto n 2 of Niccolò Paganini; Violin Concerto No. 3; Violin Concerto No. 4; Violin Concerto No. 5
Awards: Order of the Golden Spur
Languages used: Italian
VIAF ID: 93850871
ISNI: 0000000122830695
GND ID: 118591177
Library of Congress ID: n79105881
MusicBrainz ID: d581b2f2-f945-4566-a249-2d0171466993

Recorded in Wikidata. Affiliations may refer to earlier stages of the composer's career.

In this catalogue

Common listed instruments: Guitar, violin, Piano, Cello, Viola
Genres represented: Classical, Rock, Jazz, Pop
Source entries with composition dates: 14

These details describe the indexed sheet music, including arrangements.

Catalogue

Sheet music catalogue page 7 of 10

Instruments describe listed editions, including arrangements. Composition dates and keys appear where recorded; collection pages show their individual contents.

Works and musical collections with sheet music details
Title	Work details	Listed instruments	Sheet music
Caprice No. 2 - Violin	See work details	violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Caprice No. 8 - Violin	See work details	violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Caprice No.20 - Violin	See work details	violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Concerto in D Major, Op. 6 , Movement 1 - Violin	Catalogue / opus Op. 6 Key in title D major	Piano violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Violin Concerto no. 1, op. 6, movt. 2	Catalogue / opus op. 6	violin Orchestra	View sheet music Work & edition details
Sonata No.30 - Guitar	See work details	Guitar	View sheet music Work & edition details
Terzetto No. 4 - Violin	See work details	Guitar Cello violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Sonatina No. 5 - Guitar	See work details	Guitar	View sheet music Work & edition details
Sonata No.26 - Guitar	See work details	Guitar	View sheet music Work & edition details
Sonata No.23 - Guitar	See work details	Guitar	View sheet music Work & edition details
Sonatina No. 1 - Guitar	See work details	Guitar	View sheet music Work & edition details
Sonata No. 7 - Guitar	See work details	Guitar	View sheet music Work & edition details
Quartetto No. 7 - Violin	See work details	Guitar Cello violin 1 more instruments Viola	View sheet music Work & edition details
Sonata C Major Op. 2 No. 2 - Score	Catalogue / opus Op. 2 No. 2	Guitar violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Sonata d minor Op. 2 No. 3 - Guitar	Catalogue / opus Op. 2 No. 3	Guitar violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Sonata D Major Op. 2 No. 5 - Score	Catalogue / opus Op. 2 No. 5	Guitar violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Sonata a minor Op. 2 No. 6 - Guitar	Catalogue / opus Op. 2 No. 6	Guitar violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Sonata D Major - Score	See work details	Guitar violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Sonata C Major - Guitar	See work details	Guitar violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Sonata E Major - Score	See work details	Guitar violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Quartetto No. 1 - Cello	See work details	Guitar Cello violin 1 more instruments Viola	View sheet music Work & edition details
43 Ghiribizzi - Guitar	See work details	Guitar	View sheet music Work & edition details
Sonata No.15 - Guitar	See work details	Guitar violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Sonata No.21 - Guitar	See work details	Guitar	View sheet music Work & edition details
24 Caprices Op. 1 - Violin	Catalogue / opus Op. 1	violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Caprice No. 1 - Violin	See work details	violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Caprice No. 3 - Violin	See work details	violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Caprice No.21 - Violin	See work details	violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Paganini: Grand Sonata for Guitar and Piano with Accompanying Violin	See work details	Guitar	View sheet music Work & edition details
Paganini: Theme with Variations, Op. 13 (Arr. Fritz Kreisler)	Catalogue / opus Op. 13	See edition details	View sheet music Work & edition details
Caprice no. 24	See work details	Piano	View sheet music Work & edition details
Paganini Caprice No. 24	See work details	Double Bass Keyboard	View sheet music Work & edition details
4 Caprices	See work details	See edition details	View sheet music Work & edition details
Xylophone Variations	See work details	Piano percussion Xylophone	View sheet music Work & edition details
24 Caprices for Solo Violin, op. 1 no. 9 in E major: Allegretto "La Chasse"	Catalogue / opus op. 1 no. 9 Key in title E major	Piano violin Classical	View sheet music Work & edition details
24 Caprices for Solo Violin, op. 1 no. 15 in E minor: Posato	Catalogue / opus op. 1 no. 15 Key in title E minor	violin Classical	View sheet music Work & edition details
Moto perpetuo	See work details	See edition details	View sheet music Work & edition details
Etude No 2	See work details	Piano Classical	View sheet music Work & edition details
Etude No 3 'La Campanella'	See work details	See edition details	View sheet music Work & edition details
Caprice No. 9 (La Chasse) [Arranged by Jacques Thibaud]	See work details	See edition details	View sheet music Work & edition details
Caprice No. 14 [Arranged by Eddy Brown]	See work details	See edition details	View sheet music Work & edition details
Caprice No. 24 [Arranged by Leopold Auer]	See work details	See edition details	View sheet music Work & edition details
Caprice No. 24 from 24 Caprices, Op. 1	Catalogue / opus Op. 1	See edition details	View sheet music Work & edition details
3. Cantabile e Valtz, MS 45	See work details	See edition details	View sheet music Work & edition details
4. Cantabile, MS 109	See work details	See edition details	View sheet music Work & edition details
Moto perpetuo C-Dur op. 11 -Konzert-Allegro fur Violine und Klavier-	Catalogue / opus op. 11	Piano violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Le Carnaval de Venise op. 10 -Thema mit 20 Variationen fur Violine und Klavier-	Catalogue / opus op. 10	Piano violin	View sheet music Work & edition details
Caprice No. 24 (theme)	See work details	See edition details	View sheet music Work & edition details

Biographical record: Wikidata, matched on name and checked against dates held in the catalogue. The period label is an estimate from birth year. The biography above is our own. Authority record: VIAF 93850871. Portrait: Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.