Variations on a Theme of Paganini

After listening to David Baker's Ethnic Variations on a Theme of Paganini for violin and piano on the radio today I started think, why is it that everyone seems to have a set of variations (or some kind of piece based) on the theme from Paganini's Caprice No. 24 in A Minor? Well, its because there are tons of variations of it out there. Brahms' Variations on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 35, Lutosławski's Variations on a Theme by Paganini, Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43, Schumann's Etudes After Paganini Caprices, Op. 3, Liszt's sixth etude from the Six Grandes Etudes de Paganini, S. 141, and Dallapiccola's Sonatina canonica in mi bemolle maggiore su "Capricci" di Niccolo Paganini all use it (some also use other Caprices, but the 24th is clearly the favored and famous one). Yngwie Malmsteen incorporated it into one of his songs and Andrew Lloyd Webber even has his own variations on it! And thats not it -- there are still tons of other works that use the piece -- works by Toshi Ichiyanagi, Lowell Liebermann, Boris Blacher, Frank Proto, Benny Goodman, etc.

So my question is, why, of Paganini's 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, is the 24th so famous -- why is it something that composers keep coming back to again and again and again (I myself almost employed it in my Composition No. 1 for tuba quartet (sort of as a joke)!) and have been coming back to for over 150 years (they were only published 190 years ago)? Why do so many composers find it to be such a strong source of material? What do you think is its allure? Has it become sort of a staple of composition a la writing string quartets and symphonies or is it just that composers feel that the variations (the Caprice itself is a theme and variations) that Paganini wrote weren't sufficient?

Paganini's 24 Capricees for Solo Violin (the different Caprices aren't numbered, but No. 24 starts on page 42, where it says "Tema. Quasi Presto")

EDIT:

For those of you that enjoy and participate in the YC competitions, it might be an interesting idea to have a competition incorperating a setting/variation/re-working of this Caprice, seeing as its become such a staple in music history.

I think the original melody is rather catchy and has a strong profile - a melody that's easy to recognize is, in the beginning, easy to write variations on.

But now that so many pieces have been written using this same melody, I think some composers set themselves a challenge in trying to find a new way to make it fresh and exciting. Whether or not they succeed in this endeavor is a subjective judgement, of course.

I think the original melody is rather catchy and has a strong profile - a melody that's easy to recognize is, in the beginning, easy to write variations on.

But now that so many pieces have been written using this same melody, I think some composers set themselves a challenge in trying to find a new way to make it fresh and exciting. Whether or not they succeed in this endeavor is a subjective judgement, of course.

Yes, but there are many other catchy themes that have had variations written on them, so why did this one catch on?

So do you think that for some composers it is kind of like writing a string quartet or a symphony -- a compositional rite of passage, if you will?

My school's music director composed some kind of rock version and made us play it. I hate it.

You hate the Caprice or his piece?

You should find out why he decided to use it.

I think it's just easy and fun to deconstruct, like Lutosławski did. More as a joke, i think

Not to forget: our old YC member Akhil Gardner wrote variations on it as one of his

Yes, but there are many other catchy themes that have had variations written on them, so why did this one catch on?

So do you think that for some composers it is kind of like writing a string quartet or a symphony -- a compositional rite of passage, if you will?

For the sole and simple reason perhaps why also you used it in one of your works. It is a catchy and virtuoso tune, joyful. Yet, you nearly seem to present your case in such a way as if nearly no other variations on no other famous themes have been written... Perhaps you are too focussed on the Paganini variations; God save the king, Wilhelmus van Nassau saw a great deal of variations as well, although admittedly, as stated above, it is a catchy tune in a virtuoso manner as of the first note, which is not always the case in other variation themes.

On the other hand ... perhaps there is no explanation to it, sometimes things are just as they are...

FDC

For the sole and simple reason perhaps why also you used it in one of your works. It is a catchy and virtuoso tune, joyful. Yet, you nearly seem to present your case in such a way as if nearly no other variations on no other famous themes have been written... Perhaps you are too focussed on the Paganini variations; God save the king, Wilhelmus van Nassau saw a great deal of variations as well, although admittedly, as stated above, it is a catchy tune in a virtuoso manner as of the first note, which is not always the case in other variation themes.

On the other hand ... perhaps there is no explanation to it, sometimes things are just as they are...

FDC

I think you're misreading me (also, to clarify -- I didn't use it in a piece, I almost used it in a piece in a satirical way, a la Ives because of the multitude of variations out there). I'm not saying that no other themes have been used for variations. But the 24th Caprice does have a large number of them. And I'm not really presenting a case. I'm asking a question.

Yes, God Save the King/Queen has tons of variations, from Ives to Haydn, Liszt, Rossini, even Paganini. But lets not forget that its the U.K.'s national anthem and is also quite well known in the US as the very patriotic My Country, 'Tis of Thee (I wouldn't be surprised if most Americans know it only as that!). Actually both are anthems. They carry a different kind of weight. There is a sense of patriotism, satirizing, or just evocation of a familiar tune or setting that comes with them.

Paganini's Caprice doesn't carry the same kind of history, weight, or signifiagance culturally, nor does it share their popularity (especially when it was written). So it's having so many variations is a whole different animal.

Daniel,

That was before I was here, but thanks for pointing that out!

jrcramer,

I don't know that I would call Lutosławski's a joke-- humorous in parts, but not in a satirizing way.