Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 2 in B minor, Op. 7 'La Campanella'

With solo performances in greatest concert halls of the world, working with directors like Sergiu Celibidache, Charles Dutoit, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Yehudi Menuhin, Jun Märkl and Marcello Viotti, Ingolf Turban commands a repertoire of works, some of which have rarely been performed on stage.

His virtuosic skill for Niccolò Paganinis works gained critical acclaim for his March 2006 performance with the New York Philharmonic, additionally his complete recording of the six violin concertos for Telos Records and in the TV documentary “Paganinis Geheimnis“ (merkur.tv 2006).

On this hybrid SACD the highly regarded Dutch soloist Rudolf Koeman plays Paganini’s first two Violin Concertos with the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra and conductor Jan Willem de Vriend. In order to reflect the virtuosic and operatic style of the concertos, the disc also includes an overture by Rossini entitled “Matilda di Shabran”.

The combination of Paganini’s first two Violin Concertos and a Rossini operatic overture “Matilde di Shabran” points to Paganini’s style of composing. The individual movements are in many ways similar to virtuosic or lyrical opera arias where the solo violin replaces the human voice. Also, like Rossini, Paganini uses a high degree of ornamentation to enhance the expressive quality of music.

Rudolf Koelman was born in Amsterdam in 1959. In 1972 he began an extensive study of the violin under Herman Krebbers at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, and from 1978 to 1981 he was one of Jascha Heifetz’s last pupils at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Until 1999 he was leader of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam.

Paganini composed 6 numbered concertos; the 6th of 1815 actually pre-dates No.1, which appeared in 1817. The Second concerto became one of his most famous works, and one he performed most frequently. The famous finale known as ‘la Campanella’ became an instant hit from the premiere in Naples in 1827. Later that year Pope Leo XII created Paganini a Knight of the Golden Spur, and his international stardom continued. His playing unsettled and astonished Liszt that he retreated to his hotel room for two weeks and seriously doubted if he could become as good a pianist as Paganini was violinist. Schumann claimed that it was hearing Paganini play that jolted him out of his chosen career as a man of letters to become a composer. Paganini encouraged the stories that he had sold his soul to the devil in order to play so fantastically – such spin and hype was good for the box office. It did however result in the church refusing him burial in consecrated ground. Franz Liszt wrote an intensely personal and moving obituary when Paganini died in 1840.

The Fifth concerto is from 1830, and for many years was un-performable as all Paganini left was the solo part and some vague ideas as to scoring. It was reconstructed and scored by Frederico Mompellio who also scored the Sixth concerto in the 1970s from the violin and guitar reduction that had survived. The Fifth contains all the pyrotechnics expected of a concerto by Paganini, but the slow movement is an especially moving and unadorned Andante.

Paganini refused to publish any of his concertos, thus preserving control over them at a time when there was no copyright law. The first two concertos were first published in the 1850s, over 10 years after his death.

The first violin concerto was composed in Italy between 1817 and 1818 and reveals that Paganini was already a technical wizard as a performer and his music stunned contemporary audiences. The 2nd Concerto is nick named "La Clochette" referring to the little bell that Paganini incorporated into the score.