Niccolò Paganini - Sonate per chitarra (Massimiliano Filippini)

Information

Composer: Niccolò Paganini

• 37 Sonate M.S. 84
• 5 Sonate M.S. 85
• Sonate M.S. 87

Massimiliano Filippini, guitar

Date: 2026

Label: MV Cremona

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Universally celebrated as a supreme violin virtuoso, Niccolò Paganini (1782–1840) was also an accomplished guitarist who composed extensively for the instrument, albeit exclusively for private performance. Between 1795 and 1804—prior to his international rise to fame—he authored his primary solo guitar works, including the 37 Sonatas (MS 84) and 5 Sonatinas (MS 85). These pieces showcase brilliant arpeggiations and elevated technical demands, highly praised by contemporaries such as Berlioz and Lipiński. Following the manuscript’s 1972 deposit at Rome’s Casanatense Library, scholar Danilo Prefumo restored the collection’s structure, revealing predominantly two-movement works arranged in increasing technical difficulty that merge melodic grace with inventive virtuosity.

Born in Desenzano del Garda in 1975, Italian guitarist and composer Massimiliano Filippini received his musical training under Paolo Astolfi, Gianluigi Fia, Mauro Storti, and Giulio Tampalini, later earning two master’s degrees in teaching. Over his career, he spent a decade with the contemporary-focused Exacorde guitar quartet, premiering numerous works, and performed extensively across various chamber and musical theater ensembles. Filippini's output includes his published composition Miniatura (2017) and notable recordings on the MV Cremona label, including Virtuosi Italiani della Chitarra (2019) and Paganini’s complete guitar sonatas performed on an 1823 Gaetano Guadagnini guitar (2023). He currently teaches at the "Gaffurio" Academy in Lodi.