 |
{pah-gah-nee'-nee}
Niccolo Paganini, b. Genoa, Oct. 27, 1782, d. Nice, May 27,
1840, was an Italian violinist and composer considered by
many the greatest violinist of all time. His influence on
the growth of virtuosity and showmanship in the romantic era
was parallel to that of the pianist Franz Liszt, and his feats
of skill were legendary. He also played the viola, mandolin,
and guitar. Paganini was a gambler, and on one occasion he
was forced to pawn his violin to pay his debts. A wealthy
merchant loaned him a Guarnerius violin and refused its return;
it was Paganini's treasure, although he later also owned a
Stradivarius. He wrote much of his music for his own performances,
music so difficult that it was commonly thought that he had
entered into a pact with the Devil. Much of his music is a
vehicle for the display of technique, although some of it
is musically interesting. His compositions include concertos,
capriccios, and chamber music, much of it never published.
|
- 
