Giuseppe Tartini, composer of the 'Devil's Trill Sonata', composed the work at age fifty after a dream where the devil appeared as a violinist.
Benjamin Schmid is noted for his unique profile as a violinist due to his soloistic quality, broad repertoire, and improvisatory jazz abilities.
Paganini's music is characterized by a blend of bel canto, Italianità, and German Romanticism, alongside its virtuosic elements.
Benjamin Schmid performs on the 'ex Viotti, ex Rosé 1718' Stradivari violin, provided to him by the Austrian National Bank.
Benjamin Schmid, the violinist on this album, won the 1992 Carl Flesch Competition in London, along with the Mozart, Beethoven, and audience prizes.
Paganini's 'Le streghe' ('The Witches') was inspired by a ballet by Mozart's pupil Franz Xaver Süßmayr, performed at La Scala in Milan in 1813.
