Paganini: His Music, His Instruments Carlotta Dalia & Goldmund Quartet

PAGANINI – A DECLARATION OF LOVE

Earlier this year, an unusual reunion took place in Brescia, northern Italy: Five historic instruments that once belonged to Niccolò Paganini were brought together in one place for the first time. These instruments comprised the so-called “Paganini Quartet”—two violins, a viola, and a cello, which were loaned to the Goldmund Quartet from Munich seven years ago—as well as a guitar that was also once owned by the famous composer and musician from Genoa. Today, this guitar is housed in the museum at Palazzo Tursi in Genoa and is played by the Italian guitarist Carlotta Dalia. On September 11, 2026, the album “Paganini – his music, his instruments” will be released by Berlin Classics. It marks the first collaboration between the quartet and the guitarist, who devote themselves entirely to Paganini’s chamber music on this recording.

The idea for this recording originated in Japan, when the Goldmund Quartet heard during a dinner with colleagues about a special guitar bearing the initials “N. P.” inlaid with ivory on the paletta—the head of the instrument. From this casual conversation grew the idea of recording Paganini’s chamber music on the very instruments he himself had held in his hands—thus laying the foundation for the eventual reunion of the five instruments in Brescia.

Since 2019, the Goldmund Quartet has been fortunate enough to play the “Paganini Quartet”—four historic instruments crafted by the legendary Italian luthier Stradivari—which have been made available to them by the Sasakawa Music Foundation. Previously, these instruments had been loaned to, among others, the Hagen Quartet, the Kuss Quartet, the Tokyo String Quartet, and the Quartetto di Cremona. It seems almost inevitable, then, that the musicians of the Goldmund Quartet began to delve deeply into Paganini and his music. During a tour of the United States, they were surprised and captivated by the joy of playing, the melodic imagination, and the depth of his compositions. Discovering Paganini as a composer also means shedding new light on Paganini the man. He played the viola, occasionally the cello as well, and maintained a close, lifelong affection for the guitar—an instrument that accompanied him on all his travels. Since he did not play the piano, he used the guitar as a compositional tool: he sketched out all the parts of his chamber music on this instrument. However, he never performed with it in public; the guitar always remained his private instrument. The realization that Paganini is far more than just the famous violin virtuoso also fascinates Carlotta Dalia: “He was so much more than just the ‘Devil’s Violinist,’” she says. There is generally very little chamber music repertoire for the guitar, yet Niccolò Paganini left behind fifteen guitar quartets—a clear sign of his affection for this instrument.