What do Paganini’s dazzling Caprice No. 24 and one of the most beloved melodies ever written have in common? More than you might think. In this episode, I discuss the interesting path from Paganini’s famous violin caprice to Sergei Rachmaninoff’s unforgettable Eighteenth Variation from Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Along the way, I explore musical inversion, Jeremy Begbie’s insight into the piece, and why one of history’s most beautiful melodies was hiding inside another all along.
The Friday FIVE is a weekly five-minute podcast series from Musically Speaking that features five minutes of music commentary, examples, and recommendations from Jarrod Richey.
Here’s a link to a recording with the sheet music overlaid:
And here’s Jeremy Begbie’s discussion if you’re interested:
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