The Music Rack.
SOME ANECDOTES OF PAGANINI.
Nicolo Paganini was a typical violinist. He obtained a permanent position at the court of Luca in his twenty-first year, after remarkable success as a boy, and there composed such powerful concertos fortnightly that Napoleon's sister, Eliza Bacciocchi, was each time overcome when Paganini reached the harmonic sounds. One day Paganini announced to the court that he would shortly play a novel love-song. He accordingly played a wonderful sonata on two strings—G and E. G represented the lady, E the man. The court was carried away with the beauty of the piece. At the end the Princess Eliza remarked to Paganini, "Since you have done so finely a thing on two chords, can you make us hear something marvellous on one?" Paganini smilingly agreed; and after some weeks, on the day of St. Napoleon, executed a brilliant piece on the chord C, which he entitled "Napoleone."
Paganini, the elder, was an avaricious and unnatural father. When Nicolo's gains had amounted to twenty thousand francs the father threatened to kill him if the whole was not given over. But the mother was faithful, and after the father had passed away Paganini said, "I took care of my mother—a sweet duty."
Though loaded with honors given by the Pope, the Emperor of Austria, the King of Prussia, and others, yet the latter part of Paganini's life was a constant struggle. He was of a delicate make-up, and his whole being was wrapped, as it were, in his violin. He met much opposition in his last years. A favorite saying of his was, "One must suffer to make others feel." Schottky affirmed that Paganini possessed a musical secret by means of which a pupil could obtain a conception of the capacities of the violin in three years. This secret, which Paganini himself declared he possessed, was never given to the world.
Many compositions have been ascribed to Paganini which are mere imitations. The few genuine ones contain many grotesque turns which make them all the more fascinating. Whatever may have been the faults and weaknesses of the man, as a composer Paganini was a star among his contemporaries. "As a composer Paganini stands very high. His works are rich in invention, genial, and show a mastery of the scientific part of the art."
Vincent V. M. Beede.
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