Caprice No. 24 in A minor is the final caprice of Niccolò Paganini's 24 Caprices, and a famous work for solo violin. The work, in the key of A minor, consists of a theme, 11 variations, and a finale. His 24 Caprices were probably composed in 1817, while he was in the service of the Baciocchi court.
It is widely considered one of the most difficult pieces ever written for the solo violin. It requires many highly advanced techniques such as parallel octaves and rapid shifting covering many intervals, extremely fast scales and arpeggios including minor scales in thirds and tenths, left hand pizzicato, high positions, and quick string crossing.[citation needed]
Variations on the theme
The caprice has provided a rich seam of material for works by subsequent composers. Compositions based on it, and transcriptions of it, include:
Aria – used as a basis for the main riff in the song "Igra s ognyom" ("Playing with fire") from the 1989 album of the same name. The plot of the song concerns a fictional violinist who is based on Paganini;
Angra – Used the main theme for an interlude on electric guitar on the song "Angels Cry", from the album of same name;
Leopold Auer – arranged it for violin with piano accompaniment, and added some variations of his own;
Rafał Augustyn - Paganini Variations for solo piano (1987–1989) (reference: www.polmic.pl);
Luc Baiwir – Variations on a Theme by Paganini, for solo piano (2007);
Andrew Lloyd Webber – Variations (1977), Variations (album) originally for cello and rock band, and used as the theme for The South Bank Show, later also arranged for cello and orchestra; Song & Dance – the Dance part is a reworked version of Variations;
Witold Lutosławski – Variations on a Theme by Paganini, for two pianos (1940–41) or for piano and orchestra (1978);
Yngwie Malmsteen – Used the main theme for an interlude on electric guitar on the song "Prophet of Doom", from his album War to End All Wars;
Paolo Pessina – Paganini Variations, for Violin (and Piano 'ad libitum') "to Ruggiero Ricci", Op. 25 (1997);
Gregor Piatigorsky – Variations on a Paganini Theme, for cello and orchestra (1946), later arranged for cello and piano;
Simon Proctor – "Paganini Metamorphasis" for Solo Piano;
Frank Proto – Capriccio di Niccolo for Trumpet and Orchestra (1994). Nine Variants on Paganini for Double Bass and Orchestra, also for Double Bass and Piano (2001). Paganini in Metropolis for Clarinet and Wind Symphony (2001), also for Clarinet and Orchestra (2002);
Manuel Quiroga – 9 Variations on Paganini's Caprice No. 24; 12 Variations on Paganini's Caprice No. 24; both for violin and piano;
Joe Stump – used the main theme for an interpretation on the song "Paganini's Revenge" on the album Guitar Dominance. The track also incorporates elements from Paganini's 5th Caprice;
Karol Szymanowski – No. 3 from Trzy kaprysy Paganiniego (3 Caprices de Paganini), Op. 40 (1918); transcriptions for violin and piano;[2]
George Thalben-Ball – "Variations on a Theme of Paganini" Theme and 10 variations for Pipe organ. All except the last variation are for solo organ pedals;
Philip Wilby – Paganini Variations, for both wind band and brass band;
Victor Wooten – "Classical Thump", "A Show Of Hands";
Hans Wurman – "13 Variations on a Paganini theme" for synthesizer on The Moog Strikes Bach (1969);
Eugène Ysaÿe – Variations on Paganini's Caprice No. 24, for violin and piano, op. posthumous;
JJ Lin – "Variation 25:Clash of The Souls", a song from album "Lost N Found" (2011)
