The Life And Works Of Niccolo Paganini

The Life And Works Of Niccolo Paganini Essay, Research Paper By Nick Carroll Let my work benefit all! Again, to Pryor High School Students: Plagiarizing this would be dumb, because I can almost guarantee you will be caught! Part I : The Life of Paganini Niccolo Paganini was born in the town of Genoa, Italy, on October 27, 1782. Paganini had poor health which followed him his entire life. In fact, he was almost thrown away when he was four by his parents, who believed that he had been killed by disease. Only by chance someone heard him breathing, and he was nursed back to health (Great Composers 280-282). When Niccolo was young, his merchant father gave him a mandolin to play on. After a few days he realized that his son possessed an amazing talent for the instrument. Eager to

capitalize on his son?s talent, he sent him to study with Giovanni Servetto, and Giacoma Costa for instruction in the arts of composition and violin playing. His father was very insistent that Niccolo practice and was very strict with him (Milton Cross? 565-571). He performed his first public recital at eight, playing a piano sonata written by himself. Later that year he performed another public recital, Pleyel?s Violin Concerto, which showed Paganini?s precociousness. In 1793 at age eleven, he performed a shocking and wonderfully difficult variation of La Carmagnole, which dazzled and delighted the townspeople he lived with. After that concert, there was no doubt to any of the townspeople that Paganini was going to be a great if not the greatest violinist up to that time (Great

Composers 280-282). After touring northern Italy, Paganini became financially strong enough to break the bonds of his father. For a while, Paganini?s main interest revolved around women and gambling (Great Composers 280-282). At one point he even lost his violin, which he would pawn often, in a bet. Soon after, however, he won a fine Guarnerius violin as a gift after a concert. Later he even won a Stradivarius over a bet that he could not play a particular music piece, even with preparation (Milton Cross? 565-571). From 1800 to 1813, Paganini acquired much of his fame in the national level. From 1800 to 1803, he lived with a wealthy Tuscan lady and spent his time perfecting his tone and technical ability. At 1805, he was appointed Kappelmeister at Lucca by Napoleon?s sister. He

stayed there until around 1813 when he made electrifying performance that easily won him the title of best violinist in Italy (Great Composers 280-282). In 1824, Paganini married Antonia Bianchi, a singer. Together they had a son, and three years later they split up. At this time Paganini began to tour again with his first stop in Vienna. The people there adored him, naming foods, clothings, and even a billiard shot for him. Later in 1831, he toured London, Paris, and parts of Germany. The people were as equally in awe of him as his Viennese audience (Great Composers 280-282). In 1839, Paganini?s poor health prompted him to move to Nice for a duration. By this time he had already lost his voice, and the local climate had done nothing except for irritate his condition. Finally on

May 27, 1840, Paganini died of a larynx cancer (Great Composers 280-282). Part II : The Man and his Music Paganini made an imposing figure. He was just under five foot ten, with long arms and a lanky body. His cheeks were pale and sunken; his lips were thin and his dark eyes burned with a fearful intensity (Great Composers 280-282). Because he was such a dark looking figure, wild rumors persisted about him. It was widely believed that the devil was his father, and that he directed his son while on stage. Another rumor which haunted him was that he had killed a former mistress and used her entrails to fashion a G string for his violin. These rumors and the fact that Paganini refused the final sacrament helped him to be denied the privilege of burial on holy ground (Milton Cross?