Benjamin Schmid, Petrit Ceku - Paganini: Chamber Music for Violin and Guitar (2025)

Tracklist

01. Quartet No. 10 in F major - I - Allegro
02. Quartet No. 10 in F major - II - Minuetto Scherzo. Allegretto
03. Quartet No. 10 in F major - III - Adagio cantabile
04. Quartet No. 10 in F major - IV - Rondo. Andantino con brio
05. Sonata No. 1 from “Centone di Sonate” - I - Introduzione. Larghetto – Tempo di Marcia, Allegro maestoso
06. Sonata No. 1 from “Centone di Sonate” - II - Rondoncino. Allegro
07. Terzetto for Violin, Guitar, and Cello - I - Allegro con brio
08. Terzetto for Violin, Guitar, and Cello - II - Minuetto. Allegro vivace
09. Terzetto for Violin, Guitar, and Cello - III - Andante larghetto
10. Terzetto for Violin, Guitar, and Cello - IV - Rondo. Allegretto

Niccolò Paganini was already a legend in his lifetime as the “Devil’s Violinist” - yet far fewer people, then or now, know that he was also one of the finest guitarists of his era, composing countless works for and with the guitar alongside his famously virtuosic violin pieces. Now, Salzburg’s star violinist Benjamin Schmid and guitar virtuoso Petrit Çeku embark on a mission to revive these overlooked gems, which hover between Mozart and Haydn on one side and Italian bel canto on the other. Joined by Florian Eggner (cello) and Benedict Mitterbauer (viola), they present the Guitar Quartet No. 10, the Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Guitar, and the Trio for Violin, Guitar, and Cello - works of diverse genres, only partially published during Paganini’s lifetime. These pieces blend breathtaking virtuosity (the Quartet could pass as a “disguised violin concerto”) with playful charm and the intimate flair of Romantic salon music.

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