Violin virtuoso Nicolai Paganini’s Caprice in A minor (the fifth of his 24 Caprices for Solo Violin) has been the inspiration for countless sets of variations – the sequential passages, distinctive contours and intervals, and its inherent harmony all provide a rich source of material to work with.
In 1977 Andrew Lloyd Webber added his name to those who have made use of Paganini’s piece to fulfil his obligations on losing a bet on a Leyton Orient football match to his famous cello-playing brother, Julian. One of his variations (number 4) became well known through its use as the theme to London Weekend Television’s arts programme The South Bank Show – in its original context just a short snatch from a work lasting some 45 minutes.
In this ten minute selection Paganini’s theme is presented followed by variations 1–5, 10, and 23 (in the original numbering). The famous South Bank Show theme is included, as is the variation which became ‘Unexpected Song’ in Tell Me On A Sunday, and the galloping finale – a showy ending for today’s virtuosi!
