Niccoló Paganini wrote his 24 Caprices for solo violin between 1802 and 1817. The work resembles an etude collection, with each individual piece exploring a particular skill. They were first published in 1820, dedicated as a set to 'all artists' (each individual number had a dedicatee, though). In subsequent years, famous composers arranged the caprices for other instruments, and wrote accompaniments (such as Robert Schumman). Nowadays the Caprices are one of Paganini's best known compositions, and are widely played as pieces for technical display.
