Camillo Sivori was Paganini’s only acknowledged pupil, and a musician in his master’s mould, a virtuoso of incredible brilliance. He was also a composer of distinction. His Caprice-Studies are superbly realised examples of grace, lyricism and exceptional digital difficulty drawing on the resources of a prodigious technique. La Génoise consists of a theme and seven variations with violin and piano equal partners in a breathtaking display of brio and bravura. Folies espagnoles is a descriptive marvel, a parade of narrative ‘engravings’ that summon up Spanish sights and sounds.
