A few years before leaving Italy in 1938 in the face of rising anti-Semitism, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco had written this charming ten-minute piece, ostensibly as a tribute to Paganini. Having composed it for the guitar virtuoso Andrés Segovia, he consciously attempted to draw a parallel between himself and Paganini. Will the latter ever be separated from that disparaging word, diabolical? Naturally, one will recognize thematic references to Paganini here, but the music is still Castelnuovo-Tedesco's own, even if the listener is often stylistically taken back to the early nineteenth century. The work opens with a dramatic introduction based on the main theme, then goes on to present that theme in a lively creation that, not surprisingly, divulges an Italianate character. The melodic material is deftly worked out as the music takes on a heroic manner in the central sections. In the latter part of the piece, it grows increasingly difficult, as rapid-fire notes heighten tension and bring on blazing colors, the music building toward a virtuosic climax. This brilliant piece will appeal to most fanciers of serious guitar music.

© Robert Cummings, All Music Guide