- Paganini completed the final version of this concerto by 18161 and its premiere took place by 1819.2
- Paganini originally wrote this concerto in E-flat Major, with the violin tuned up a half step. Paganini favored using the violin as a transposing instrument, tuning it at various pitch levels depending on his musical needs (a technique called scordatura), but today almost all violinists play this concerto in D Major (which allows the violin strings to be tuned to G, D, A, E, as usual).3
- In one anecdote, Paganini performed this concerto in London in 1831, and during the performance one musician’s sheet music caught fire from a candle. Reportedly, the musicians and audience alike were so distracted watching Paganini that nobody immediately noticed the score on fire.4
Sources
- Edward Neill, “Paganini, Nicolò,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed Aug. 26, 2021, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000040008.
- David Nice, liner notes to Nicolò Paganini: Violin Concertos, Ilya Grubert, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Constantine Orbelian, Chandos 9492, CD, 1996.
- Neill, “Paganini, Nicolò,” Grove Music Online
- Nice, liner notes to Nicolò Paganini: Violin Concertos
Cut IDs
17818 21879 24148 41305 49443 49519