Background
Niccolo Paganini was born on October 27, 1782, in Genoa of musically ambitious parents. At the age of 9 he made his debut playing to an enthusiastic audience his own variations on La Carmagnole.
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(Composed by Nicolo Paganini (1782-1840). Edited by Carl F...)
Composed by Nicolo Paganini (1782-1840). Edited by Carl Flesch. Published by International Music Company. Publisher Catalog No. 582.
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Niccolo Paganini was born on October 27, 1782, in Genoa of musically ambitious parents. At the age of 9 he made his debut playing to an enthusiastic audience his own variations on La Carmagnole.
Niccolo studied with Giacomo Costa. When Niccolo was taken to the famous violinist Alessandro Rolla, the latter declared he had nothing to teach him. Nevertheless, Niccolo did study violin for a while, as well as composition and instrumentation. At the age of 14, he freed himself from his father.
Paganini's career was checkered: gambling, love affairs, rumors of his being in league with the devil, and rumors of imprisonment, which he frequently denied in letters to the press. In love with a Tuscan noblewoman, he retired to her palace, where he became completely absorbed in the guitar from 1801 to 1804. On returning to the violin he performed a love duet by using two strings of the violin and then surpassed this by playing a piece for the G string alone.
Even when Paganini was playing Mozart and Beethoven, he could not restrain himself from brilliant embellishments. The violinist made innovations in harmonics and pizzicato and revived the outmoded mistunings. Although he took a giant step forward in scope of technique, he paradoxically did this while holding the violin in the low 18th-century style and using a straight bow of the late Mozart period, which the Parisian violin maker Jean Baptiste Vuillaume persuaded him to give up. Although it is generally assumed that the modern technique is far "superior" to that of the 19th century, this is belied by the fact that many passages in Paganini are still scarcely playable.
In 1816 Paganini appeared in a "contest" in Milan with Charles Philippe Lafont and later remarked, "Lafont probably surpassed me in tone but the applause which followed my efforts convinced me that I did not suffer by comparison. " Paganini's success in Vienna in 1828 led to a cult in which everything was a la Paganini. Similar triumphs followed in Paris and London. In 1833 he invited Hector Berlioz to write a piece for him for the viola; Harold en Italie was the result. Paganini played frequent concerts for the relief of indigent artists. In 1836 he became involved in a Parisian gambling house; government interference led to bankruptcy and permanently damaged his health. He died on May 27, 1840, in Nice.
Niccolo was the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique.
Paganini was also the inspiration of many prominent composers. Both "La Campanella" and the A minor Caprice (No. 24) have been an object of interest for a number of composers. Franz Liszt, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Boris Blacher, Andrew Lloyd Webber, George Rochberg and Witold Lutosławski, among others, wrote well-known variations on these themes.
(Composed by Nicolo Paganini (1782-1840). Edited by Carl F...)
Niccolo Paganini was considered to be as Roman Catholic. But its confirmation is found very less. It has been thought that in his most of the performances he used to have some prayers before coming and going in front of the public. The life of any musician shows his or her music love and other related stuff but according to some of the artists their religion is their profession. This makes them to stay indulged in their work and produce amazing results by their firm faith in artistic approach to prosper more. His dressing also depicted the typical style of clothes dressed by Catholic Pops.
Niccolo Paganini had not much interest in the politics. He was totally indulged in the making and establishing his albums and performing concerts in specific technique of playing Violin. He had never encountered anything related to the politics. In his all life findings only his early life and definite career depicts that not only he participated in any political activity infect, he never criticized any political person. As most of the Italian are fun loving and enjoying people. And at that time Italy was considered to under some KING’s race rather any democracy. So area may also affected his political life, which was never his profession.
Quotations:
"I am not handsome, but when women hear me play, they come crawling to my feet."
"Now I am a genius; before that I was a drudge."
"I love the guitar for its harmony; it is my constant companion in all my travels."
Paganini’s romantic personality and adventures created in his own day the legend of a Mephistophelean figure. Stories circulated that he was in league with the devil and that he had been imprisoned for murder; his burial in consecrated ground was delayed for five years. He was long regarded as a miser, but a more accurate portrait would consider his desire to be free from a train of dependent followers and their importunities for his largesse. His gift of 20, 000 francs to the struggling composer Berlioz was an act of generosity seemingly uncharacteristic; possibly Paganini, recognizing in “Beethoven’s successor” a worthy talent, thought it was his duty to come to the composer’s aid.
Throughout his life, Paganini was no stranger to chronic illnesses. Although no definite medical proof exists, he was reputed to have been affected by Marfan syndrome or Ehlers–Danlos syndrome. In addition, his frequent concert schedule, as well as his extravagant lifestyle, took their toll on his health. He was diagnosed with syphilis as early as 1822, and his remedy, which included mercury and opium, came with serious physical and psychological side effects.
Physical Characteristics: Paganini had not too much rocking outlook. He had long hairs. Paganini lost his base teeth and had a gaunt and pale look which added to the spiritualist that was working around his virtuosity. He wearing all dark and urged individuals to believe that he was possessed by the devil to have the capacity to perform such otherworldly shows of method!
In Venice, in 1815, Niccolo began a liaison with Antonia Bianchi, a dancer, which lasted till 1828; and by her he had a son Achillino, born in 1826.
