"Sonata Militaire," in G, for the fourth string, theme, the air "Non più andrai," from Mozart's opera "Le Nozze di Figaro." This piece was composed expressly for the second of the two concerts Paganini gave in Genoa in 1824, when the young singer, Antonia Bianchi, made her début. The Sonata was played by Paganini at his first concert in London. All traces of it appear to have been lost.
"Napoleon Sonata," for the fourth string. Paganini gave an account of the origin of this piece to his friend, Julius Schottky, and to what has already been related in connection therewith may now be added the further statement he made. Paganini sang to his friend the first movement of this Sonata "in an animated though feeble tone," and said that Rossini transferred the theme into one of his earlier operas. It would be interesting to know the opera in question, but the early works of Rossini would be searched in vain without the clue afforded by the Sonata, which appears to have vanished completely.
"Sonata Maestosa Sentimentale," with variations on a theme by Haydn, for the fourth string. It is probable that the theme for these variations was the well-known Emperor's Hymn, and that this Sonata was performed by Paganini before the Austrian Court in 1828.
Sonata with variations on a theme from the opera "L'Amor Marinaro." Nothing is now known of this Sonata, nor of the particular theme chosen from the opera. "L'Amor Marinaro" (the Corsair in Love) was one of the early productions of Joseph Weigl, being written in 1798. An opera buffa, it was distinguished by natural charm, freshness of colouring and beauty of melody, and to the latter quality Paganini's choice of it must doubtless be attributed.
"Chant of the Monks of the Monastery of St. Bernard." This was the title given to a piece in the programme of a concert at Covent Garden Theatre. It was performed on a darkened stage and the solemn character of its music was emphasized by a beautiful scene representing a monastery with stained glass windows. The introduction, a movement of some length of the basses in unison, was followed by a chant "of lovely harmonies, performed in harmonics (I believe, on the fourth strings) in combination with the wood instruments." Minasi, who gives this account of the piece, states that he believes it to be merely the second movement of the Concerto in B minor, Op. 7.
Cantabile for two strings. This piece was performed at the King's Theatre, on June 13th, 1831. Possibly it was the same as the musical fantasia already referred to as played at Lucca under the title of "A Love Scene." Of the remaining pieces, except the one mentioned below, nothing seems now to be known save the names.
The one exception is the piece entitled "The Vagaries of a Farmyard," which contained a wonderful series of imitations of farmyard sounds. In this connection the following anecdote, illustrating Paganini's extraordinary power of portraying curious sounds on his violin, may be worth repeating. One fine night, when staying at a little inn just outside Frankfort, he was sitting at his window lost in the contemplation of the glorious heavens. The striking of a clock broke through his reverie and called back to his mind an occurrence of which he had but recently been an ear-witness. He seized his violin, and there arose on the stillness of the night the moans and cries of a mother and her new-born babe. The landlord of the inn, awakened by the unusual sounds and wondering how such visitors had found their way into his house without his knowledge, called his son and hastened to the room whence the plaintive cries proceeded; and he found Paganini, too deep in thought to perceive his entrance, making his violin bring forth these human sounds. It is stated of Paganini that he was wont to produce his animal cries under the stress of special excitement or during an access of fever, and that with his farmyard piece he electrified the audience at one of the last of his concerts in London.