Born in Erfurt, the composer Edward Mollenhauer (1827 1914) achieved success in America as a soloist and teacher. His best-known pieces for young violinists are The Infant Paganini and The BoyPaganini.
The Mollenhauer fantasia The Infant Paganini is a charming introduction to early virtuoso techniques. It calls for bowing techniques such as detaché, legato, spiccato and arpeggios over threestrings. Players are also expected to play harmonics and pizzicato.
This showpiece (BA 10691) can be accomplished by young violinists who can play in first to third position and who are nearing completion of theSassmannshausEarly Start on the Violin, volume 4.
The Boy Paganini is an impressive concert piece which is more demanding. Its two movements call for changes of metre, harmonics and pizzicato. Other challenges includechords on all four strings and simple passages in octaves.
On the Violin (BA 10692), the technical requirements call for first to fifth position. Violinists should have completed volume 4 of Early Start on the Violin inorder to master this work.
