Italian violinist and composer Pietro Locatelli (1695–1764) played a significant role in the history of classical instrumental music. A student of the renowned Arcangelo Corelli, Locatelli developed many principles discovered by his teacher and contributed to the further refinement of the concerto violin style.
Among his compositions are a series of concerti grossi, the collection "L'Arte del Violino" (which includes the famous 24 Caprices), collections of sonatas for violin, flute, trio sonatas, and more.
Locatelli’s violin sonatas are exemplary of the 18th-century concerto instrumental style: the masterfully developed solo part extensively employs the diverse technical and cantilena possibilities of the violin.
As with most of the composer's sonatas, the Violin Sonata in G minor has a cyclical form based on the traditional contrast of movements for that era: slow – fast – slow – fast. The four movements of the sonata are performed without interruption and, except for the third movement, are tonally unified.
The first movement (Largo) serves as a slow introduction to the cycle, somber and majestic in character. The declamatory expressiveness of the solo part is marked by great inner intensity. The second movement is titled Allemanda. The richly ornamented melody and light, elegant accompaniment exhibit dance-like qualities. The third movement (Adagio) is an example of an instrumental aria filled with elevated emotion. The lively finale (Allegretto moderato ed espressivo) concludes the sonata in a cheerful, energetic tone.
Bach’s Chaconne is one of the most remarkable works in the world violin literature. Created as the final (fifth) movement of the Second Partita for solo violin, the Chaconne has gained special popularity as an independent violin piece, as well as in arrangements for other instruments. The Chaconne amazes not only with the grandeur of its musical structure but also with the inexhaustible fullness and depth of emotions, their warmth, and humanity.
The chaconne – a dance song known in Spain as early as the 16th century – gained pan-European popularity in the 17th and 18th centuries. The form of the chaconne, theme with variations, was extraordinarily typical for instrumental music of that era. The peculiarity of the chaconne as a variation form lies in the fact that the basis of the variation development is not a melody assigned to the upper voice but a small melodic figure, repeated unchanged in the bass. These are the so-called variations on a "basso ostinato."
Bach’s Chaconne consists of an eight-bar bass theme and thirty variations. The Chaconne is contrasted in structure (D minor outer sections and a D major middle section) and in the presentation of variations (clearly delineated between polyphonic and homophonic variations). The Chaconne is one of Bach’s highest creative peaks. It symbolizes the composer’s life journey – difficult, sorrowful, but courageous, with beautiful bright episodes.
The 24 Caprices for solo violin were the first and one of the few violin works by Paganini published during his lifetime. They were created in 1801 and first published in 1820 by the Milan firm Ricordi. The title page of the edition bears the subtitle: "Dedicated to artists." With this, Paganini indicated that he was addressing mature artists, masters of the violin art.
By expanding and enriching the form of the "capriccio," the composer created pieces in which the flight of fantasy and "playing with difficulties" are combined with a wealth of musical ideas. "In them, I discover increasing richness of poetry and originality of composition," wrote J. Joachim.
New coloristic and virtuosic techniques of violin playing found their complete embodiment in this work, which is an encyclopedia of romantic instrumental technique.
Having established an era in the history of musical art, the 24 Caprices still hold significance today as one of the remarkable works of concert instrumental music and a high school of virtuoso mastery. The diversity of the content of the caprices corresponds to the diversity of form, brightness, and freshness of the musical language.
Caprice No. 1 (E major) is written in an improvisational manner. The combination of playing with arpeggiated passages and the striking, bouncing stroke "ricochet" creates a shimmering harmonic fabric, remarkable for its lightness and transparency of color.
As the main principle of Caprice No. 12 (A-flat major), Paganini used various effects of chromatic sound. The instrumental texture and techniques of the caprice are extraordinarily original.
The scherzo-like Caprice No. 19 (E-flat major) is distinguished by astonishing elegance, created by the use of flying staccato. The outer sections of this caprice are contrasted with the middle episode, written for performance on one string, the G string.
The composition "Introduction and Variations on the Aria 'Nel cor più non mi sento'" from Giovanni Paisiello's opera "La Molinara" dates from 1820–1821. The piece was first performed by the author in Naples on July 30, 1821. Unlike most of his variation cycles, Paganini wrote this piece for solo violin, without accompaniment. However, he compensated for the lack of accompaniment with an original textural presentation of the violin part, giving some variations a duo form. Such is the theme with pizzicato accompaniment by the left hand, the tremolo variation, and others. Throughout the piece, Paisiello’s melody appears in various instrumental guises. The bravura brilliance of the first variation is replaced by transparent harmonic sounds, followed by a dry, detached "pizzicato" variation, then a powerful chordal presentation of the theme. The final variation is built on rapid arpeggiated motion.
