Nicolò Paganini was music’s first superstar. His career was attended by inflated concert prices, mass enthusiasm, even hysteria, all supported by a superb violin technique, a capacity for daring innovation and a genuine musical gift. Yet it is not widely known that Paganini was a guitarist too. The Ghiribizzi (whims or fancies), are sketches based on popular operatic tunes, displaying a unique charm and freshness. The guitar sonatas are small in scale but skilfully wrought, often recalling the music of the 18th century. An exception to this is the virtuosic Grand Sonata which, after an endearingly melodic Romance, concludes with a theme and six variations of ever-increasing technical difficulty.