Not everyone seems to be aware that Niccolo Paganini, the most brilliant violin virtuoso of the 19th century, was also a talented guitarist. It is not by chance that within the context of his chamber works – somewhat forgotten, it is true – the pieces composed for guitar amount to a considerable sum. Of the five opuses published during his lifetime, let us note that No. 1, containing the 24 Caprichos by the way, is the only one that does not include the guitar.
According to contemporary artists who met him, the Italian maestro believed that it was not worthwhile to perform on stage also as a guitarist. He had enough with the violin. Besides, his physiognomy, his height, thinness, bony hands and long legs favored the supernatural aura that surrounded him much more effectively if he remained standing with the violin than sitting with a guitar between his legs.
Paganini's works for solo guitar include no more and no less than 37 sonatas and five sonatinas. But there are also works for violin accompaniment. Of the latter, the best known and performed today are the Grand Sonata in A major, opus 35, and the Sonata Concertata in the same key, opus 61, both composed around 1805, although the latter was published only in the twentieth century, in 1955.
"Sonata Concertata" per chitarra e violino, op.61
Note that the original title states that the sonata is written for guitar and violin, in that order. However, in the third movement, the liveliest, the violin takes on a certain prominence.
The piece lasts less than fourteen minutes but includes the three standard movements of the time:
01:00 Allegro spiritoso
08:35 Adagio, assai espressivo
11:58 Rondo: Allegretto con brio - Scherzando
The rendition is by American guitarist Eliot Fisk accompanied by Italian violinist Chiara Morandi.
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