Paganini’s virtuosity was the wellspring for the cult of the instrumentalist as hero, and he inspired Liszt, among many others, both as performer and composer. His first violin concerto is fearsomely difficult (no surprises there!) – there is rapid double and triple-stopping, passages in stopped harmonics and other pitfalls for the faint-hearted. It’s written on a mighty canvas, by someone who knew his Beethoven as well as he knew his Bellini and Rossini: the first movement alone is 20 minutes.

The operatic nature of the piece makes it challenging for the conductor too, and the husband-and-wife team of Dego and Rustioni are in control from the first bar. This...