Paganini's Violin, Bow, Case, etc., in the Municipal Museum at Genoa. This is the celebrated Joseph Guarnerius on which the great virtuoso invariably performed. The instrument is under a glass shade, and with other relics of Paganini, preserved in a strong safe. It is stated that £5,000 has, in vain, been offered for the violin.
This is another Caricature—Paganini performing on a tight rope—under which is printed "Exercices sur une seule corde,"—in reference to his one string solos. This was published by Mori and Lavenu, London, circa 1831.
This is, we believe, from a contemporary German picture.
This humorous picture is on the title-page of a comic song, "The wonderful Paganini, or London fiddling mad." The poetry by W. T. Moncrieff, Esq., and the melody by one of the first composers of the day! London, published by Leoni Lee, circa 1831. The "poetry" is not of a classical standard.
"What a hubbub! what a fuss! all London sure are frantic Sirs,
The Prince of Fiddlers has arriv'd, great Paganini has come.
So wonderful, exorbitant, so frightful, so romantic, Sirs, the world of Music at his mighty presence are struck dumb.
So firm his touch, so fine his stop, everyone must own his sway,
Great King King of Catgut! Agitato! presto! Who but he Sirs,
Mori, Spagnoletti, now must second fiddle play, Sirs—
Glory be to Tweedle dum! Success to Tweedle dee! Sirs—
Such golden sounds, he from one string can draw, no sum can pay him, Sirs,
Germany, France, Italy, combined his fame to puff
The prices must be doubled, all the world crowd to survey him, Sirs,
Four thousand pounds a night to pay him is not half enough,
Sixpences, none, after this, must dare call fiddlers' money Sirs.
Thousands, tens of thousands, must the wondrous man reward,"
etc., etc.,
and so on for five verses!
Sigr. Paganini. During one of his performances at the King's Theatre, June, 1831. From a contemporary lithograph of the celebrated sketch by D. Maclise, R.A., now in the Foster Collection, South Kensington Museum. In the background are J. B. Cramer, Lindley, Dragonetti, Mori, etc. This is, perhaps, the most interesting print of the great violinist. It was published on July 12th, 1831, by W. Spooner, 259, Regent Street, London.