Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Capriccio Diabolico, Op. 85a (1945) is the composer's own arrangement for guitar and orchestra of his 1935 solo-guitar piece “Capriccio Diabolico (Omaggio a Paganini).” Dedicated to Andrés Segovia, the work pays tribute to Niccolò Paganini’s virtuosic style through a fiery tarantella-like character and occasional quotations of Paganini’s motifs. Castelnuovo-Tedesco transforms his original solo fantasia into a scherzo-like concert piece, retaining the solo guitar’s dazzling figuration while expanding the harmonic palette with orchestral color.

The composer's orchestration balances the guitar’s intricate lines against light wind and harp punctuations, with sudden horn and percussion accents underscoring the work’s diabolical swagger. Throughout its single‐movement span, the orchestra alternates between transparent tutti passages and quiet support of the guitar’s rapid scales, double-stops, and left-hand pizzicato effects.

A typical performance lasts around 11 minutes, during which the guitarist navigates rapid arpeggios, octaves, and harmonics that evoke Paganini’s violin techniques reimagined for the guitar. The orchestral parts demand precise rhythmic coordination—particularly in the tarantella rhythm—while maintaining a delicate balance to prevent overpowering the solo instrument. The result is a concise display of Italian-Romantic virtuosity and 20th-century orchestral flair.