Paganini's Moto Perpetuo on concertina is terrifyingly rhythmic

30 June 2017, 10:09 | Updated: 30 June 2017, 10:21

Paganini’s Moto Perpetuo is a notoriously fiendish violin piece. But have you ever heard it played on a concertina?

Starting up his metronome and lulling himself into a rhythmic trance, this concertina player manages to quietly nail the timing of the piece, simply by twitching his knee along to the beat of the metronome.

In a totally uninterrupted four-minute take, Cillian King gives a masterclass in performing the fast-paced piece, which when played on a wind instrument, becomes a virtuoso challenge for circular breathing.

Moto Perpetuo literally means Perpetual Motion, and it follows a trend of pieces which are intended to be played repeatedly and indefinitely. So if Paganini’s composition sounds familiar to you, perhaps because of a certain Flight of the Bumblebee, you would be correct! Rimsky-Korsakov's orchestral interlude is intended to replicate the chaotic flying patterns of a bee, and much like Paganini's creation, is infamous for the utter despair it can cause in musicians.

Therefore - bravo, Cillian King! Find him on Facebook and Twitter.