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Niccolo Paganini is a great violinist and composer. There are many myths about him. Each of us has our own, special opinion about this extraordinary personality.
Tormenting suffering, incredible fame and monstrous death lay ahead of this virtuoso, which he accepted with dignity. He was a genius and a madman, a demon and an adept of God, a sophisticated mystic and an amorous fool, he was a pillar figure in the history of art.
Biography of Paganini
In a poor Italian family with many children, the third child immortalized himself, his parents and his talent. But his own life can hardly be called happy. The boy was born in October 1782.
Niccolo Paganini was sickly, sensitive, with a feminine fragile physique inherited from his mother. But perseverance, enterprise and temperament, along with a love of music, came to him from his father.
The boy’s absolute pitch was noticed by his parents in early childhood. He tried to reproduce everything he heard on various musical instruments and even by tapping his fingers on the table. Soon, his father bought him a small violin, which became both a friend and a tormentor for the boy.
Niccolo’s giftedness was the only way for his father to get rich. The elder Paganini makes the child play the violin, mandolin or guitar for twelve hours a day. Any disobedience of the child was punishable.
Apparently, thanks to such tortures, Niccolo will quickly master all the musical instruments that were in his father’s house. The fragile health of the little violinist was further undermined by continuous studies.
Undoubtedly, the father put a lot of efforts to develop the rare gift of his son, and already at the age of eight, Niccolo began to compose music. And the father himself played the guitar perfectly. It is possible that he wanted his unrealizable dreams of becoming a famous musician to be realized in his son.
Be that as it may, the boy surpassed his father. At the age of twelve, Niccolò began his concert activity and changed the history of not only European, but also world culture, introduced romanticism and adventure into the minds of people.
Majesty and genius
When the brilliant composer, improviser, artist, the world’s first showman began to play, it seemed that all living things and even inanimate objects instantly fell silent. He thoroughly knew the nature of his instrument and audience perception. I knew exactly what each listener expected in the depths of his soul and wanted to receive.
This artist breathed music, lived in it. He brought the viewer to fainting and ecstasy, to a nervous breakdown. Demonic appearance, playing techniques, absolutely contradicting classical samples at that time, explosive temperament. At the same time, extreme concentration made many admire, and others envy and curse.
Everyone said that a secret lived in him, which was the reason for the power over the audience. To say that this virtuoso’s playing was perfect is to say nothing! He involved everyone present in his performance.
Every breath, look, every movement, all his black, nervous, even somewhat ugly creature, as if not of this world. But, nevertheless, bewitching, made the viewer get used to this magic.
Legends of Niccolo Paganini
So far, no one has been able to surpass the skill of the brilliant virtuoso. He lived in the world of music to the end, put people into a hypnotic state, and human ignorance came up with incredible myths and legends.
In one myth, he was a buffoon and a jester, an illusionist and a magician, engaged in the occult sciences and magic. In these suspicions, Paganini himself was to blame, since in his search for ideas, he abused romantic secrecy.
Another myth was his eight-year imprisonment for the murder of his mistress. There he is subjected to the most severe torture and beaten. It was there that he allegedly learned to play the violin. Moreover, the jailers tore three strings from him, and he managed to play one!
Legends are so tenacious, even considering their utter absurdity. But in fact, the only truth is that he was a really difficult, impulsive and extremely emotional person, but in relation to women, weak and spineless.
Even more delightful is that, being emaciated by illness, he managed to give stunning concerts, others in his condition would have difficulty even moving around.
We know very little about Niccolo. His life was smashed into myths and legends, and it is no longer possible to figure out where the truth is. He was credited with incredible diagnoses, described his intolerable and irresponsible character, but all this does not deprive him of the high title of being an unsurpassed virtuoso.
Paganini’s death
A few years before Paganini’s death, his son Achille was born, after which Niccolo will no longer have anyone more dear and beloved.
He was painfully aware that he would not be able to find the strength and time in himself to protect his little child from the whole motley crowd, which naturally would take revenge on his son for his scornful and arrogant disposition, for the selfless and completely different hierarchy of values of the father.
The Royal Academy awarded him membership. He conquered the whole world with his talent, but his performances became rare. The maestro could not play for more than thirty minutes. He was not yet fifty years old when the disease confined him to bed.
May 27, 1840 fromdeath did not pass by the messenger of the devil or God’s chosen one. There were incredible and romantic legends about the death of Paganini, although everything was extremely prosaic.
The violinist’s son and friends had to invest a lot of effort and money in order to bury him. The embalmed body was transported from place to place several times until they received permission from the authorities and the church to bury the already decayed body of the creator of enchanting music.
It is regrettable to realize that even in those days, the life, activity and even death of great people were commanded by kings, ministers and church bureaucrats.
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