Nicolò Paganini’s works for guitar were onlypublished in their entirety in 1989. TheGenoese musician was a sensation during hislifetime and is still counted among thegreatest violinists of all time, yet he was alsoan excellent guitarist. At the other end ofthe compositional spectrum to his works forviolin, Paganini’s guitar works have a moreintimate feel; not intended for the concerthall, they are often free from the virtuosicdisplay that was typical of solo works of theera.The Ghiribizzi collection contains a charmand simplicity appropriate to the musicalproficiency and development of a youngguitar student, concentrating on areas suchas ornamentation, scalic exercises and pedalnotes. The 37 Sonatas are a collection oftwo?movement pieces (with the exception ofNo.11 and Nos. 34–37); among themovements are charismatic minuets, mellowAndantinos and lilting waltzes. A furtherwealth of compositional variation can befound in the Guitar works MS 85–105. TheGrande Sonata, one of Paganini’s mostpopular works, originally employed theguitar as an accompaniment to the violin;this collection provides a performance of theSonata for solo guitar – a real treat. The useof a period guitar for this recording adds aspecial quality to the collection.Luigi Attademo, prizewinner in the 1995Concours International d’Exécution Musicale(Geneva), is an acclaimed performer of bothBaroque and contemporary guitar music. Heregularly travels throughout Europe to giverecitals and participate in recordings; he alsoappears on the 2009 Brilliant Classics releaseof Domenico Scarlatti’s sonatas for guitar.

Luigi Attademo guitar