Elisa paganini biography

Nicolò Paganini remains the most extraordinary violinist in the history of music. Legendary was his performing and expressive ability, ingenious and innovative his composition, immense his talent. And nothing ordinary characterized his person and life story as well, even after he took his last breath. But was he really the “devil’s violinist” or just a man constantly struggling with the fragility of his own body?

Paganini: the first real “star” in music history

He was called the “devil’s violinist” because of the performing ability that only one who comes to terms with the devil can possess. But not only that. Paganini’s appearance, attitudes and excesses contributed to giving the “demonic” appellation more and more substance. His contemporaries describe him thus, “…He has the face of a dragon. High, broad, square forehead, aquiline nose, mischievous mouth, wide, protruding, detached ears, long, black hair, contrasting with pallor of complexion….” .

He is thin and lanky, and, accentuating the drama of his character are his always black clothes and blue-lensed glasses. But it is when he plays that he is at his best: he fidgets, writhing like a madman, giving life to music that ends up “possessing” those who are lucky enough to attend one of his performances. He ranges from the deepest sensitivity to the extreme violence that causes him to break all the strings of his Cannon-the Guarnieri del Gesù violin he plays all his life-to stay with the last one, the G string, on which he continues to improvise. In short, a true star of his time who not only fascinated illustrious women-from Elisa Bonaparte to Mary Shelley-but also enthusiastically convinced the great musicians of the time.

From Rossini to Berlioz, f

(1782-1840)

Who Was Niccolò Paganini?

Italian virtuoso violinist Niccolò Paganini may be the perfect example of nature meets nurture. Taught the violin by his father as a child and tutored by the best teachers, Paganini was considered a prodigy. The ferocity with which he played, coupled with his elongated fingers and extraordinary flexibility, gave him a mysterious, almost mythical reputation. Mobbed in the street and rumored to have a deal with the devil to achieve the heights of his virtuoso performances, he ultimately became considered the greatest violinist of all time.

Early Life

Niccolò Paganini was born in Genoa, Italy, on October 27, 1782, the third of six children born to Teresa and Antonio Paganini. Paganini's father was in the shipping business, but he also played the mandolin and began teaching his son the violin at an early age. Paganini's mother had high hopes of her son becoming a famous violist.

When Paganini had exhausted his father's abilities, he was sent to the best tutors in Genoa, primarily in the theater, where he learned harmony and counterpoint. His first recorded public performance was at a church on May 26, 1794, when the boy was not yet 12 years old. He had been influenced by the work of Auguste Frédéric Durand, a Franco-Polish violin virtuoso who had a reputation for showmanship.

So, the boy moved on to Alexandro Rolla in Parma, who was so impressed with the prodigy that he felt the wisest course for him was composition. After an intensive course of study, Paganini returned to Genoa and began composing and performing, primarily in churches. He also set his own schedule of rigorous training, sometimes 15 hours a day, practicing his own compositions, which were often quite complicated, even for himself.

Musical Career

By 1801, Paganini, who was used to touring with his father by this time, went to Lucca to perform at the Festival of Santa Croce. His appearance was a rousing success, endearing himself to

Niccolò Paganini was born on October 27, 1782 in Genoa, in a building that no longer exists at 38 Via Gatta Mora, to Antonio Paganini and Teresa Bocciardo. At the age of seven he was initiated by his father, an amateur musician and packer of goods at the port, into the study of the mandolin, a very popular instrument in Genoa, followed later by that of the violin and guitar: the study regimen imposed by his father, who hoped to make his son a musical phenomenon, was harsh and forced Paganini into hardships and days of intense study. The father's study of the mandolin was not easy.

From 1792 Paganini was tutored by violinist Giovanni Cervetto, composer Francesco Gnecco, and later Giacomo Costa; on May 31, 1794, 11-year-old Niccolò performed for the first time as a soloist at the San Filippo Oratorio. In 1796 he attended Alessandro Rolla's lessons in Parma. After holding two academies in Modena in December 1800, he returned to Genoa in 1801 and deepened his study of the guitar; with this instrument, of which he would acquire absolute mastery, Paganini would not perform in public, however. So he went to Lucca, where his concerts began to arouse wonder and amazement. During this period, due to a profligate and licentious life, Paganini found himself in trouble several times.

From 1805 to 1807 he became first violinist at the court orchestra of the Republic of Lucca, in which his brother Carlo was also employed, and later joined the court of Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, Napoleon's sister.

In the first decade of the 19th century, the first rumors begin to circulate of his “pact with the devil” and with the “arts” of witchcraft, to which he is blamed for his ’superhuman skill in musical performance. In 1814 Paganini fell in love with 20-year-old Angela Cavanna and, against the wishes of her parents, the two lovers moved to Parma, where they stayed for a few months; the young woman became pregnant (later giving birth to a child who ha