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Introduction

This discography is an exhaustive attempt to catalogue recordings of the compositions of Nicolò Paganini. Sound media covered include compact discs (CD), super-audio compact discs (SACD), microgrove records (33 1/3 rpm LP and 45 rpm discs), coarsegroove  records (78 rpm discs), transcription discs, digital versatile discs (DVD), VHS videos and laserdiscs (LD). Recordings on reel-to-reel tape, music cassettes, digital audio tape and mini-discs are not covered. Recordings are arranged into the following twelve instrumental sections:

• Concertos
• Violin and Orchestra
• Works with Orchestra
• Solo Violin (in two parts)
• Solo Guitar
• Mandolin
• Violin and Guitar
• Violin and Piano
• Violin and Bassoon
• Guitar and Violin
• Guitar Trios / Quartets
• Solo Strings
• Miscellaneous

Within each section the composition titles are listed alphabetically, and recordings are arranged alphabetically by the surname of the soloist. If a soloist has made multiple recordings of a certain piece then the recordings are listed chronologically (for example, refer to Ruggiero Ricci’s numerous recordings of the 24 Caprices in Solo Violin 1). The above section titles are pretty much self-explanatory but please note the following:

• The 6 violin concertos are listed chronologically – the early Concerto in E minor (No. '6’ or No. '0')  first, followed by Concertos Nos. 1–5. Recordings of arrangements of single movements from the concertos follow on from recordings of the complete concerto (e.g. recordings of 'La Campanella' follow on from those of the Concerto No. 2)
• Note the descrimination between the sections Violin and Orchestra and Works with Orchestra. The former lists recordings of compositions for violin and orchestra, whereas the latter lists recordings which feature other instruments with orchestra (e.g. Piece for horn, bassoon and orchestra)
• Due to its excessive size, the Solo Violin section is spread over two pages. The first page (Solo Violin 1) lists complete recordings of the 24 Caprices, followed by incomplete recordings of the same (Nos. 1–15); the second page (Solo Violin 2) continues the listing of incomplete recordings of the 24 Caprices (Nos. 16–24), followed by the remaining works for solo violin (e.g. Nel cor piu non mi sento).
• Note the descrimination between the sections Violin and Guitar and Guitar and Violin: in the former the violin is the principle instrument and the guitar the accompanying instrument; the latter section lists works where the guitar is the principle instrument (as in the Grand Sonata) or where the instruments are evenly matched (as in the Sonata concertata).
• The popular Cantabile was Paganini's only composition for Violin and Piano and recordings of it can be found in this section.
• Recordings of trios and quartets featuring guitar (e.g. the 15 guitar quartets, M.S. 28–42) can be found in the section Guitar Trios / Quartets; recordings of all other 'chamber' compositions (three instruments or more) not featuring guitar (e.g. the 3 string quartets, M.S. 20) can be found in Solo Strings.
•  Miscellaneous contains a list of recordings where it was not possible to ascertain titles of the pieces performed.

In addition to the instrumental sections described above, there are the following sections:

• Editors comprises a list of musicians who have produced their own arrangements, editions or versions of Paganini's works.
• Readers unfamiliar with Paganini’s works are referred to the Compositions section which lists composition titles, key signatures, opus & catalogue numbers, and movement descriptions.
• Collectors of Paganini's music are directed towards the Dealers page which lists recommended record and compact disc dealers world-wide.
• Further information about Paganini's life and music can be found under Links.
• Album cover artwork of selected recordings made by Salvatore Accardo, Ruggiero Ricci, Leonid Kogan and Yehudi Menuhin can be viewed by clicking on the appropriate tab.
• The names of all instrumentalists, accompanists, orchestras and conductors, and the works they have recorded, are arranged alphabetically in an artist's index (A–Z tabs).

Entries Format

A typical entry is Yehudi Menuhin’s première recording of the First Violin Concerto. It can be found in the Concertos section under the heading Concerto No. 1 in D major, M.S. 21 (Op. 6). The entry reads as follows:

¹ Menuhin, Yehudi (violin) / ² Paris Symphony Orchestra / ³ Monteux, Pierre (conductor)

⁴ 78 (5): ⁵ His Master’s Voice ⁶ DB 2279/83

78 (5): His Master’s Voice DB 7737/41

78 (5): RCA Victor 8379/83

78 (5): RCA Victor 8384/8

78 (5): RCA Victor DM 230 (discs 17079/83)

LP: Electrola E 91475 ⁷[Excerpt from Rondo only]

LP: EMI ⁸References C051 43322

LP (3): EMI C153 52370

LP (3): EMI C175 1793

LP (3): EMI (Yehudi Menuhin: His Famous Early Recordings, 1931–38) RLS 718

LP: His Master’s Voice FALP 896 [Excerpt from Rondo only]

LP: His Master’s Voice ⁹ (Yehudi Menuhin at Fifty) HQM 1018 [Only a 3 minute extract from start of Rondo; extract preceded by short narration by Menuhin]

CD: ADS Records Legendary Recordings ADSLR 103

CD: Aura Music (Yehudi Menuhin Plays Paganini) AUR 228–2

CD: Biddulph Recordings LAB 051

CD: Biddulph Recordings (Menuhin Plays Paganini) LAB 102

CD: Dante (Pierre Monteux Edition: Volume 3) LYS 479

CD: EMI References CDH 5 65959 2

CD (6): EMI References (Y. Menuhin: 80th Birthday Edition) CHS 5 65964 2

CD: Naxos Historical (Great Violinists: Menuhin) 8.111135

¹⁰ Recorded 18 & 19 May 1934 ¹¹ (Paris, France)

¹² [Première recording of complete concerto. Cadenza by Emile Sauret]

The parts of the entry are:

1 Soloist (instrumentation in parentheses).

2 Orchestra, instrumental ensemble, or accompanist.

3 Conductor.

4 Recording medium: 78 (78 rpm records), LP (33 1/3 rpm long playing records), 45 (45 rpm records) and CD (compact discs). Unless otherwise stated, all 78s and LPs are twelve-inch discs. Ten-inch 78s & LPs are indicated by 10" in parentheses. The number of discs in multi-disc sets is indicated in parentheses (‘set’ being used when the number is not known). Digital versatile discs, VHS videos and laserdiscs are indicated by DVD, VHS and LD respectively.

5 Record label or manufacturer. Labels are listed alphabetically in instances when a recording is available on more than one label.

6 Catalogue number. Mono and stereo pressings are indicated by ‘(m)’ and ‘(s)’ respectively.

7 Noteworthy information about record or pressing.

8 Record label series.

9 Record/album title.

10 Recording date.

11 Recording location.

12 Noteworthy information about recording or performance.

Tips

In order to make the best use of this discography it is advisable to follow certain rules. For example, say you are trying to locate Ruggiero Ricci's recording of the 24 Caprices made on Il Cannone. Firstly, click on the relevant instrumental section hyperlink: this would be Solo Violin 1. Secondly, click on the relevant composition title hyperlink: this would be 24 Caprices: Recorded complete. Thirdly, carefully scroll through the listed recordings (arranged alphabetically by the soloist's surname) untill you come to the first of Ricci's several recordings of the 24 Caprices (LP: Decca LK 4025, etc.). Finally, carefully scroll through the recordings until the desired one is arrived at (CD: Biddulph LAW 016, etc.). Alternatively, after clicking on the relevant instrumental section hyperlink, use your web-browser's 'find' or 'search' function to locate 'Ricci' (ensuring that the spelling is correct!) and proceed from there. I apologise, by the way, about the pop-ups ads; I aim to sort this out but, in the meantime, please don't let the ads discourage you from using the discography. If you experience problems using my site, or cannot locate a particular recording, then please e-mail me at purfleet@hotmail.com (Peter Snedden) and I will attempt to answer your query.

References

The following have proved invaluable sources of reference and information during the production of this discography.

• Paganini, Herbert R. Axelrod and Leslie Sheppard, Paganiniana Publications, Inc., New Jersey, First edition, 1979.
• Paganini, The Genoese, Geraldine I. C. de Courcey; Da Capo Press, New York, 1977 (re-print of 1957 First edition).
• Catalogo Tematico delle musiche di Niccolò Paganini, Maria Rosa Moretti and Anna Sorrento, Comune di Genova, 1982.
• Nicolò Paganini: Il cavaliere filarmonico, Edward Neill, De Ferrari Editore, Genova, 1990.
• Discopaedia of the Violin (1889–1971), James Creighton, University of Toronto Press, First edition, 1974.
• Melodiya: A Soviet Russian LP Discography, compiled by John R. Bennett, Greenwood Press, First edition, 1981.
• Record Company Mail Order (Lewes, East Sussex) classical record catalogue.
• Ars Antiqua (Ellettsville, USA) classical record catalogue.
• A Classical Record (New York, USA) classical record catalogue.
• Mikrokosmos (Toronto, Canada) classical record catalogue.
• Schwann Opus classical catalogue, Schwann Publications, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
• (The) Gramophone classical catalogue.
• (The) Gramophone magazine, General Gramophone Publications, Ltd.
• Classic CD magazine, Future Publishing, Ltd.

Acknowledgements 

Special thanks (in no particular order) to all those who helped, or assisted, in the production of this discography: Dr Stefano Olcese (Dynamic srl, Italy), George Melvin (The Music Shop, Glasgow, Scotland), Casa Records (Glasgow, Scotland), Harold Moores (Harold Moores Records, London, England), Gramex (London, England), Caruso & Co (London, England), Record Company Mail Order (Lewes, England), Albert D. ten Brink (A Classical Record, New York, USA), Dave Canfield (Ars Antiqua, Ellettsville, USA), Peter Fulop (Mikrokosmos, Toronto, Canada), Jim Eukey (Recycled Music, Milwaukee, USA), Parnasus Records (Saugerties, USA), the staff of the Mitchell Library (Glasgow, Scotland), the staff of Manchester Central Library (Manchester, England), Stanley Brylawski (Library of Congress, Washington DC), Anna Rita Certo (Comune di Genova), Gale Andrews, Antonio Bonacchi, Bob Bremer, Mattias Eklund, Hugh Ferguson, Peter François, Paul Geffen, Raymond Glaspole, Regina Imatdinova (Art of the Violin Foundation, Moscow), Michael Jelden, Andrej Kluge, Professor Gianluca La Villa, Valery Leen, Marco Perrando, Tully Potter, Jay Shulman, Jeffrey Wall, Eric Wen and Boris Zindels. Thanks also to Ruggiero Ricci, Salvatore Accardo and other maestros whose performances of, and dedication to, Paganini's music inspired this discography.

Contact the Author

In a work of this magnitude errors and omissions are inevitable. Please e-mail suggestions, criticisms and comments to purfleet@hotmail.com (Peter Snedden) – I look forward to hearing from you!

About the Author

Dr Peter Snedden (PhD, MSc, BSc Honours) is a research chemist and was educated at the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde. He lives in Irvine on the west coast of Scotland, and his interests include horse riding, gramophone records, soundtrack music and cinema.

Copyright Notice

The copyright of all material on this web site belongs to the the author under the terms of the United Kingdom Copyright Acts. Due acknowledgement must always be made of the use of any material contained in, or derived from, this web site.

Copyright © Peter Snedden 1999–2008. All rights reserved.