Caprice No. 24 in A minor is the final caprice of Niccolò Paganini's 24 Caprices, and a famous work for solo violin. The work, in the key of A minor, consists of a theme, 11 variations, and a finale.

It is widely considered one of the most difficult pieces ever written for the solo violin. It requires many highly advanced techniques such as parallel octaves and rapid shifting covering many intervals, extremely fast scales and arpeggios including minor scales in thirds and tenths, left hand pizzicato, high positions, and quick string crossing. As a result, most violinists even after studying for many years still lack the technique required for such a demanding piece.

Variations on the theme
The caprice has provided a rich seam of material for works by subsequent composers. Compositions based on it, and transcriptions of it, include:

• Leopold Auer – arranged it for violin with piano accompaniment, and added some variations of his own
• BanYa – "Caprice of Otada" is based on Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and is used in Pump it Up NX2
• Alison Balsom – recorded a version transcribed for trumpet
• James Barnes – "Fantasy Variations on a Theme by Niccolo Paganini", a wind band arrangement with each variation as a solo for a particular section
• Boris Blacher – Variations on a Theme by Paganini (1947), for orchestra
• Hans Bottermund – Variations on a Theme by Paganini
• Johannes Brahms – Variations on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 35 (1862-63), for solo piano (2 books)
• Luigi Dallapiccola – Sonatina canonica in mi bemolle maggiore su "Capricci" di Niccolo Paganini : per pianoforte (1946)
• Eliot Fisk – transcribed all 24 Caprices for solo guitar
• Ignaz Friedman – Studies on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 47b (1914)
• Benny Goodman – Caprice XXIV
• The Great Kat – adapted the 24th Caprice for electric guitar
• Lowell Liebermann – Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for piano and orchestra (2001)
• Franz Liszt – the sixth and last of his Études d'exécution transcendante d'après Paganini for solo piano, S.140 (1838) – revised and republished in 1851 as Six Grandes Études de Paganini, S.141
• Andrew Lloyd Webber – Variations (1977), Variations (album) originally for cello and rock band, later also arranged for cello and orchestra; Song & Dance – the Dance part is a reworked version of Variations
• Witold Lutosławski – Variations on a Theme by Paganini (1940-41), for two pianos; in 1978 he made a version for piano and orchestra
• Yngwie Malmsteen – Used the main theme for an interlude on electric guitar on the song "Prophet of Doom", from his album War to End All Wars
• Nathan Milstein – Paganiniana, an arrangement of the 24th Caprice, with variations based on the other caprices
• Robert Muczynski – "Desperate Measures" Paganini Variations, Op. 48
• Pavel Necheporenko – Variations on a Theme by Paganini, transcribed for unaccompanied balalaika.
• Simon Proctor – "Paganini Metamorphasis" for Solo Piano
• Frank Proto – Capriccio di Niccolo for Trumpet and Orchestra (1994). Nine Variants on Paganini for Double Bass and Orchestra, also for Double Bass and Piano (2001). Paganini in Metropolis for Clarinet and Wind Symphony (2001), also for Clarinet and Orchestra (2002).
• Sergei Rachmaninoff – Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 (1934), a set of twenty four variations for piano and orchestra
• Fazıl Say – Paganini Variations for solo piano
• Robert Schumann – Etudes After Paganini Caprices, Op. 3 (1832)
• Stanisław Skrowaczewski – Concerto Nicolò for Piano Left Hand and Orchestra, 2003
• Joe Stump – used the main theme for an interpretation on the song "Paganini's Revenge" on the album Guitar Dominance. The track also incorporates elements from Paganini's 5th Caprice.
• Karol Szymanowski : third caprice from "Three caprices about Paganini themes" for violin and piano (1918)
• George Thalben-Ball - "Variations on a Theme of Paganini" Theme and 10 variations for Pipe organ. All except the last variation are for solo organ pedals.
• Philip Wilby – Paganini Variations, for both wind band and brass band
• Hans Wurman – "13 Variations on a Paganini theme" for synthesizer on The Moog Strikes Bach (1969)
• Ehsan Saboohi – "Metamorphosis on Theme of Paganini for Piano Solo" (2009)
• David Garrett - "Paganini Rhapsody" (2007)

The above text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ( creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ ). It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Caprice No. 24 (Paganini)" ( en.wikipedia.org/ ... i/Caprice_No._24_(Paganini) ).