Nicolo Paganini.
Paganini.—The most unique, most startling figure in music belongs to the violin, a law unto himself in his playing, one for whom the violin seemed to have been perfected long years before by Guarnerius and Stradivarius and one who seemed to have been made for the violin, the hero of fictions innumerable, to whom was attributed in his day all manner of occult power. This mysterious king of the violin was Nicolo Paganini, born in Genoa, February 18, 1782, died May 27, 1840. Never strong in body, in his early youth he gave himself up to dissipation to such an extent that he undermined his constitution, and passed through the world as a spectre rather than as a man. Paganini was self-developed, he belonged to no school and he founded none, yet so great was his command of the technic of the violin and the bow, that no other player so profoundly influenced contemporaries and successors on the matter of virtuosity. He taught but one pupil, Camille Sivori (1815-1894). Paganini greatly influenced the younger French violinists of his day, among whom may be mentioned Alard and Dancla. After these men come Charles de Bériot (1802-1870), who represents the Belgian School, his pupil Henri Vieuxtemps (1820-1881) and third generation in the line of pupilage, Eugen Ysaye (b. 1858). Others who belong to the Belgian School are Massart (teacher of Wieniawski, Kreisler and others), Léonard (teacher of César Thomson, Marsick, Musin, Marteau, etc.). At the present time the centre of interest in the violin world has shifted to Prague, where Ottokar Ševčík has sent out young violinists of the Slav race who display the most astonishing technical mastery.
- References.
- Grove.—Dictionary of Music and Musicians, articles on Violin Playing,
- Sonata, Concerto, and players mentioned in this lesson.
- Stoeving.—Story of the Violin.
- Ehrlich.—Celebrated Violinists.
- Hart.—The Violin and its Music.
Questions.
What was the form of early violin music?
What difference was there in sonatas?
What were Corelli’s contributions to music?
What were Tartini’s contributions to music?