No. 2, Allegro, C major, four-four measure, in binary form, the subjects given to the violin and violoncello. Minuetto, Allegretto, A minor, three-four, with Trio in two sections, F major and D minor. The violin has the theme, the others accompany with chords. Cantabile, Larghetto, A major, six-eight, the melody, floridly embellished, for violin, the other instruments accompanying. Polacca, Quasi presto, C major, six-four. The violin has the chief melody, subordinate parts being given to the viola and violoncello. The guitar has full chords throughout.
No. 3, Allegro, D minor, four-four rhythm, Coda in D major, principal themes for the violin, the viola and violoncello taking up portions here and there with chords and arpeggios for the guitar. Allegro moderato, D minor, three-four, Canone a tre, theme for violin, answered by viola and violoncello at one bar interval, an octave below, as in No. 1. Guitar tacet. Tema Cantabile, Quasi adagio, B flat major, two-four. The movement consists of two periods, the theme for viola and violin alternately, in each. Variation I., florid, violoncello and violin in response; II., in G minor, more elaborate, theme for violoncello and violin, rapid arpeggios for guitar; III., in B flat major, theme for viola and violin, alternately, and finally for guitar. Polacchetta, Allegro con brio, D minor, three-four, a brilliant movement, with themes for the violin; the viola and violoncello share in the figurated passages, and the guitar has an accompaniment in chords and arpeggios.
Paganini is said to have repudiated this work, although according to Fétis, the quartets were published at Genoa under his very eyes. I should rather say that the Milan edition was the first, and perhaps the only one. Paganini's assertion was that some one had taken a few of his themes, and badly arranged them. Fétis further states that various pieces published before, and up to, 1851, must be considered as "commercial frauds." Some of them are named, and will be referred to in due course. The music of Op. 5 cannot be regarded as in any way great, but there are graceful melodies, and the movements in Canon form are ingeniously worked out.
Op. 6, Premier Concerto (Mi Bémol), pour le violin avec accomp. de l'orchestrè. This was the first of the posthumous works, published by the firm of Schott and Co., Paris, in 1851. It is scored for two flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoon, double bassoon, two horns, trumpets, three trombones, kettle drums, bass drum, cymbals, and the usual quintet of strings. The solo violin is tuned a semitone higher, and the part is in D, while the orchestra plays in E flat. Breitkopf and Härtel publish the orchestral parts in the key of D. There is an arrangement of the first movement, by August Wilhelmj, but with that I have nothing to do here. First movement, Allegro maestoso, E flat, four-four. The orchestral exordium extends to ninety-four bars, six more than in the introduction of Beethoven's Concerto. The movement—so it may be termed—is symphonic in form, with second subject in the dominant, and it is richly scored. The exception I take to it is the persistent employment of the cymbals with the bass drum. There is a delightful little touch in the canonic imitation for first violins and violoncellos. The solo has a principal theme scarcely indicated in the introduction, and also several important episodes. The slow movement, Adagio, C minor, four-four, was inspired, as already mentioned, by the Italian tragedian, Demarini. Paganini witnessed his performance in a prison scene, where, after recapitulating his misfortunes, he supplicated Providence to relieve him of the burden of his life. Paganini retired to rest still under the influence of the emotions excited by the actor. He could not sleep: he rose and sought through his violin a means of expression by which he could pour out the feelings that consumed his soul. Thus, genius tortures and produces. It must have been this movement in which William Gardiner heard "tones more than human, which seemed to be wrung from the deepest anguish of a broken heart." Observe, especially, the recitative passages that close the movement. Finale, Rondo, Allegro spiritoso, E flat, two-four. This is the longest concerto movement known to me, running on to four hundred and eighty-three bars, but the "measure" is short. The concerto is not so long as that of Beethoven, the first and second movements containing fewer bars. It may be noted that in the first and last movements Paganini introduces harmonics, and passages in tenths, most probably for the first time in a concerto. In the slow movement there is no double stopping. The Cadenzas were improvised, and Paganini, like Beethoven, in his improvisations surpassed anything he ever committed to paper.
Op. 7, Concerto No. 2, in B minor. Allegro maestoso, B minor, twelve-eight. Adagio, D major, two-two. Rondo, Andantino allegretto moderato, B minor, six-eight. This is not so long as the first concerto by some two hundred bars, and is not so fine a work, but it is a piece worthy of being occasionally heard. In the principal theme of the Rondo occur the passages where the silver bell three times echoes the violin note—the top F sharp of the pianoforte keyboard. Failing the bell, the violinist produces the sound by an artificial harmonic. It is this Rondo that Liszt has included in his Grosse Etüden von Paganini. His treatment of Paganini must be briefly described. There are six "studies," the first a transcription of Paganini's Caprice, No. 6, Adagio, G minor. To this Liszt adds a prefix, the arpeggio prelude of No. 5. The Caprice itself is very literally copied, the whole being an octave lower, and at first assigned to the left hand alone. After the sixteenth bar the treatment becomes more free, while the figuration is much the same. The study ends with the arpeggio passage as at the beginning. The second takes for subject No. 17, Andante, E flat. Scarcely a note is omitted, but the passages are placed higher or lower, and the runs given to either hand. This is a marvel of ingenuity, forming a most brilliant pianoforte solo. It is followed, as by a second sonata movement, by the "Campanella" Rondo, the two being intended to be performed in succession. For this purpose the Rondo from the Concerto is transposed to G sharp minor, the closing E flat of the previous movement changing enharmonically to D sharp.
The first exposition of the subject follows Paganini very closely, but in the development and further progress of the movement Liszt follows his own bent, repeating the principal theme again and again with ever varying treatment. This is a piece for the virtuoso, and one of the most showy in the pianist's repertory. The fourth study is an extremely clever transcription of the Caprice No. 1, Andante, E major. Not a note of Paganini's piece is left out, and the arpeggios are ingeniously set out for interwoven fingering, causing the performance to be something to look at as well as to hear. It is nearly all cross-handed work. The fifth study is an arrangement of the Caprice No. 9, Allegretto, E major. On paper it appears easier than the setting by Schumann, but it is more difficult to play. Here, again, the phrases are divided for both hands. The glissando passages in sixths are impossible on modern instruments. The sixth and last study, on the Caprice, No. 24, Tema, con variazioni, A minor, is the most ingenious of all. The theme is simply harmonised at first, then used as a counterpoint to the arpeggios in the first variation. The next is more simply treated, and in the third variation Paganini's theme forms the bass upon which the figuration of the initial motive is superposed. To the end Liszt shows what possibilities in keyboard execution were latent in Paganini's violin figures; and if the latter had written only these Capriccios he would survive as the cause of the most original inventions in pianoforte technique that have yet seen the light.
Op. 8, Le Streghe. Variations on the "Witches' Dance," theme from the Ballet, "Le Nozze di Benevento," by Vigano, music by Süssmayer. It has already been stated that Paganini witnessed a performance of this ballet, at La Scala, Milan, in 1813. He took the theme from a fantastic scene where the witches appear. In his London programmes Paganini thus described the piece; "Variations on the Country Dance Della Streghe alla Noce di Benevento (or the comic dances of the Witches under the walnut tree of Benevento), composed and performed by Signor Paganini." The piece is in the key of E flat, and the violin is to be tuned a semitone higher, the soloist playing in D. There is an orchestral prelude of eighteen bars, Maestoso, followed by a solo, Larghetto, a beautiful Italian melody, embellished, in two short strains. The theme is simply set forth, and the variations serve for the display of bravura playing with pizzicato and harmonics in the second movement, fourth string melody, and double harmonics in the third, and with the Finale resembling a Galopade. Orchestral parts are published, as well as the arrangement with pianoforte.
Op. 9, Variations on "God save the King." Théme, Andante, G major, with Six Variations. One principal feature is the intermingling of left hand staccato with bowed notes. At the close there are sustained open notes on the G and D strings, bowed, with double pizzicato, in sixths, above.
Op. 10, Variations on "The Carnival of Venice." For this the violin is tuned a semitone higher, the solo being played in A, and the accompaniment in B flat. The theme is a popular Venetian air, "O Mamma!" Paganini heard it when in Venice in 1816, but whether he then composed the variations is not certain. It was not long, however, before Paganini made the air a favourite everywhere he went, and it is to him the melody owes its world-wide popularity. The composer of the air remains unknown. Joseph Ghys published, at Paris and Berlin, what purported to be Paganini's variations; Ernst and Sivori played versions more or less exactly in accordance with the original; but the text was finally settled by the publication of the piece in 1851. There are twenty variations. The 9th and 14th are for the fourth string; the 11th has alternate bowed and pizzicato notes; the 15th and 18th are pizzicato throughout; the 19th is in tenths and thirds; and the piece ends with a short brilliant coda.
Op. 11, Moto Perpetuo. Allegro vivace, C major. Fétis terms this piece a movement from a Sonata for violin and orchestra. It is in the repertory for all violinists, and its running passages of staccato semiquavers need no description.