I had gotten interested in a reference made by a friend to a connection between genetics and a particular Chopin Nocturne........and being the good science mind that I am (haha!), I pursued to discover a book called The Violinist's Thumb, by Sam Kean. The book is subtitled "and other lost tales of love, war, and genius, as is written by our genetic code", and as I began to read, became lost in a chapter about the great Nicolo Paganini, the 19th century violinist referenced in the title. Paganini's most famous composition for solo violin is,most likely, the 24 Caprices: famous because of the unbelievable virtuosity required to perform. This work has been arranged for piano (and many other instruments) since its inception, and as pianist, I began trying to come up with a list in my mind of some of the arrangements that I know. One thing led to the next, hence the lesson that many of my students will be seeing in the next week or so! Here is a sample of Marc-Andre Hamelin(https://youtu.be/3N1przkk5tA) being inspired by one of Nicolo's themes! Thanks for inspiration, Nicolo!
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