Paganini: Lucca Sonatas, Vol. 2

Featuring

Luigi Alberto Bianchi
Maurizio Preda
Niccolò Paganini

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Composition History

Paganini composed at least 48 sonatas for violin and guitar, divided into 8 groups of six works each, during his time in Lucca between 1805 and 1809.

Performer Biography

Luigi Alberto Bianchi, the violinist on this album, plays a violin from the Brescia school, built by Giovanni Paolo Maggini in 1620, which was once owned by the Princes of Saxonia.

Composition History

The Op. 3 and Op. 8 sonatas, previously incomplete, were rediscovered and acquired by the Italian Ministry of Culture at a Christie's auction in December 1999.

Compositional Technique

The 'Duetto amoroso' for violin and guitar, likely from Paganini's Lucca period, consists of ten short episodes that depict a love story with moments of friction and a happy ending.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Paganini's unique nature led him to infuse music with human traits, often using descriptive indications like 'Amoroso' or 'Con anima e trasporto' instead of conventional tempo markings.

Compositional Technique

Paganini's Op. 3 sonatas are characterized by their disarming simplicity, with the guitar primarily providing accompaniment and the violin writing being basic.

Compositional Technique

The Op. 8 sonatas often feature a three-movement structure and more elaborate writing compared to the Op. 3 sonatas, with some movements using right-hand pizzicato or double-stops.