Liszt's La Campanella
La campanella (Italian: the little bell) is the nickname given to the third of the six Grandes études de Paganini (Grand Paganini Études), S. 141, composed by Franz Liszt in 1851. La campanella's melody comes from the final movement of Niccolò Paganini's Violin Concerto Number 2, in which the tune is reinforced by a little handbell. The work has been arranged by other composers and pianists, for example by Ferruccio Busoni and Marc-André Hamelin.
Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886) was a Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher. During the 19th century he was famous throughout Europe for his great skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age and perhaps the greatest pianist of all time. Liszt composed an extensive and diverse body of works, which influenced subsequent composers such as Richard Wagner, Hector Berlioz, Camille Saint-Saëns, Edvard Grieg, and Alexander Borodin.
Niccolò Paganini (1782 - 1840) was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer. He was one of the most celebrated violin virtuosi of his time, and his works had profound influence on the evolution of violin techniques. Paganini's Caprice Number 24, from his Twenty-Four Caprices for Solo Violin (Opus 1), is widely considered one of the most difficult pieces for violin solo, and has served as an inspiration for many composers.
