# Paganini unique or boring?



## Daniel

Just curious: What do you think about Paganini?


----------



## Quaverion

How can you not like Paganini?! Wow. I think he's awesome. Also, I just put a hex on every option other than Paganini rules. If anyone polls for anything else, every waking moment for you will become a swirling torrent of pain and misery. Just kidding.


----------



## Daniel

HAHAHAHAHA, i voted for "there are more boring ones out there"...is that enough for being beaten? :lol:?


----------



## Daniel

In serious: sometimes Paganini gets me to much into "routine". I am referring to his violinconcerts. I listened to his 4 th concert yesterday again, and besides he didn't orchestrate very well, he got vulgar and in composition structure just "standard", there was missing an unique feeling. 

Out of the discussion; his soloviolin works and his ability to write for violin!


----------



## Quaverion

Why do you think he is boring? He was siad to have been possesed by the devil himself. Did you ever hear Shlomo Mintz (the guy James was with) play his 24 Caprices? Awesome. No, you're a good guy. so you won't get a beating. B) However, everyone else better watch their back if they decide that Paganini just isn't good enought for them.


----------



## Nox

It's unlikely there will be another Paganini...given the contribution his disease(s) made to his playing...and to the 'new' approach he displayed with regards to performing...

...you might be bored hearing about him, or hearing his works...but I doubt you can classify Paganini himself as boring...


----------



## Quaverion

I only heard about his condition that made his hands so big. What other ones are there? P.S. I think I may have that disease.  B)


----------



## Daniel

I didn't say he is boring. But his orchestration might be "a bit" boring and vulgar sometimes. Well, his writing for violin is of course unique, though there are moments I need some more deep music, which I miss sometimes by Paganini. :lol:


----------



## Quaverion

> _Originally posted by daniel_@Sep 9 2004, 03:26 AM
> *there are moments I need some more deep music, which I miss sometimes by Paganini. :lol:
> [snapback]1833[/snapback]​*


I agree with you there.


----------



## 009

Talking about moving music in Paganini...His Cantabile is really soothing, and really aesthetic. ( thanks to guys at soloviolin, I finally recall this tittle)
I voted Paganini as unique. But I do agree that he's too technical sometimes. And it makes me wonder what is one's true intension of perfecting the playing of an instrument? To stretch the instrument to the limit, to outdo the possibilities which ultimately leads to marvellous, vulgar technic...or just perfecting the music...
These 2 will have to work hand in hand. 
Pure technic is vulgar.
BTW, Paganini suffers from Chronic disorder which 'ironically' allows him to be really flexible with his wrist and movement around the fingerboard. And he can really stretch due to his large hands...but that's not his disorder.


----------



## Nox

According to Philip Sandblom in his book Creativity and Disease few geniuses have experienced such lucky agonies as Paganini, bedeviled by a host of chronic complaints, including Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, marked by excessive flexibility of the joints. "This enabled Paganini to perform the astonishing double-stoppings and roulades for which he was famous", Sandblom writes. "His wrist was so loose that he could move and twist it in all directions. Although his hand was not disproportional he could thus double its reach and play in the first three positions without shifting."

Taken from:

http://www.maurice-abravanel.com/paganini_...lo_english.html

...I'm guessing he was anorexic as well...


----------



## 4/4player

that violinist is so masterful..its even a taboo for me to utter his name in public!Yes,__________Rules!

4/4player


----------



## Mark Harwood

Paganini wrote terrific music for the guitar, which he played. Marco Tamayo has a disc of it on the Naxos label. You guys seem to think he wrote for the fiddle too; well, good for him.


----------



## oisfetz

You should investigate his chamber music; his string quartets, his guitar quartets,
the many short sonatas for violin and guitar, his viola works, the "Barucabá" variations...


----------



## Frasier

There'll always be two problems as far as I can see:

1) Paganini's: Paganini was forced to write music - there wasn't anything in the repertoire suited to his talents. So his music may not be particularly revolutionary but it gave him something to show off with. (For all that, his music is pretty good).

2) Ours: Much of Paganini was surely about the visual/aural excitement at performance, something we'll never see. I wonder how many people have seen one or more concertos performed live? Most will have auditioned them only on CD or radio.


----------



## Mr Salek

Mark Harwood said:


> Paganini wrote terrific music for the guitar, which he played. Marco Tamayo has a disc of it on the Naxos label. You guys seem to think he wrote for the fiddle too; well, good for him.


I hope you're being facetious here!


----------



## Krummhorn

I'll 2nd Daniel's vote ... although Paganini is quite unique and a virtuoso of the violin, something about that music grates on my nerves ... I guess what is a beautiful rose for some is fertilizer for others. LOL! Not knocking Paganini nor those who love his music mind you ... but there are _worse ones out there. _


----------



## sebastianglabo

he's alright. i have a recording of midori playing him...there's now better violinist out there.


----------



## Azathoth

Paganini is pretty cool.

Haven't heard enough to really form an opinion...

Some songs off the radio, and my boyfriend's CD of Itzhak Perlman playing something completely insane that sounds like it's two people.

Hardly comprehensive exposure, but what I've heard, I tend to like.


----------



## Chi_townPhilly

Put me in the "unique" column. He defies ready comparison with any who had come before him, and comparison with those who came after were on account of a semblance of emulation. To me, that counts as "unique." I can't quite say "he rules." Twin deities sit atop my musical pantheon, and the term "rules" is one I reserve for them.

As for the visual element in Paganini's performance, I've read that he made it appear so effortless. (Source- Morin ed. _Classical Music_). Apparently, not for him the "unsightly deep knee bends" which are so excoriated by pedagogue Henry Roth. 
Among purely solo works, the _Caprices_ might hold the place of highest esteem in my collection.


----------



## Manuel

Chi_town/Philly said:


> Among purely solo works, the _Caprices_ might hold the place of highest esteem in my collection.


Not only are they very good, but also were first of a kind. (Well... L'arte dall'arco was before, but it's not the same as the caprices  ).



> Some songs off the radio, and my boyfriend's CD of Itzhak Perlman playing something completely insane that sounds like it's two people.


Do you remember the name of the piece?

The Duo Merveille comes to my mind, but I don't really know if Perlman recorded it. It's a Duo, for violin solo...

For more crazy works (ridiculously difficult) I suggest
Paganini: _Nel cor piu non mi sento _variations. Of which violinists record two versions: the original one (Accardo, *Kogan*...) and the Prihoda arr. (Prihoda, Ricci, *Repin*).
Paganini: God save the King variations.
Ernst: Six polyphonic etudes. Of which the 6th is just impossible, but lovable.

And one of my favs, even though is not the best one, I know, is Saint-Lubin's Fantasy on the sextet of Lucia di Lammermoor.


----------



## Mark Harwood

Paganini's guitar works are available on the Arts label, in three volumes, played by Frederic Zigante.


----------



## oisfetz

Manuel: don't know if Perlamn recorded the duo, but I've the Accardo recording
and it doesen't sound too difficult. Is a game of bow and left hand pizzicatto, but nothing as hard as other similars on other works.


----------



## Manuel

oisfetz said:


> Manuel: don't know if Perlamn recorded the duo, but I've the Accardo recording
> and *it doesen't sound too difficult*. Is a game of bow and left hand pizzicatto, but nothing as hard as other similars on other works.


I have the Accardo too. I'm pretty sure it's very hard. You need to play pizzicato and bow at the same time. Left hand pizzicato *while *bowing means you use the fingers on your left hand to make the notes with the strings and to pluck them.


----------



## World Violist

I think Paganini serves his purpose as a showpiece for the beginning of a recital or something, but I can't imagine playing him for an entire concert; he gets old after a few minutes.

There are more boring ones out there.


----------

