La campanella, (Italian: “The Little Bell”) byname of Allegro spiritoso (Rondo alla campanella) or Ronde à la clochette, final movement of the Violin Concerto No. 2 in B Minor, Op. 7, by Italian composer and violinist Niccolò Paganini, renowned for its intricate and technically demanding solo passages and for the bell-like effects featured in both the solo and orchestral parts. The movement derives its nickname from those bell-like sounds, which evoke the imagery of the Italian folk song—also known as “La campanella”—upon which the movement is based. Completed in 1826, the concerto premiered in its entirety the following year at La Scala, in Milan, with the composer himself as soloist.
