Transcript Niccolo Paganini

Periods of Music
 Common Practice Period (1600-1900)
 Baroque, Classical, Romantic
 Paganini’s Place in Music
Early Life
 Born in Genoa, Italy in 1782
 Studied with various Violinists in his youth
 French invasion of Italy in 1796 forced Paganini to
move
As a Young Virtuoso
 His early performances were not
well received
 Gained a reputation as a gambler
and a womanizer
 His technical ability and
compositional talent however was
met with critical acclaim
As a Composer
 Paganini only played his own compositions
 His 24 Caprices
 Incorporation of new ideas/techniques for the violin
His time in France
 Most of his time in France was
spent composing and
appreciating French music and
culture
 Tried to open up Casino, which
ended in total failure
 Died in 1840 from tuberculosis
His Contributions to the Violin
 His technical ability on the instrument to this day has
been unparalleled
 Many times Paganini has been referred to as a
phenomenon of the violin and a new way to approach
the instrument
 Originally shunned for his technical ability, later
praised for it
His Violins
 Paganini’s violins were
handcrafted to his exact
specifications
 His most famous violins were
by Antonio Stradivari
 His main instrument is still on
loan today, and four of his
instruments are played by the
Paganini Quartet
His Musicianship
 Spent years perfecting is craft
 His ability in composition and in his playing has yet to
be matched
 To even consider attempting one of his pieces, a
musician should already be considered a virtuoso
The Myths
 He was said to be a vampire
 He was scolded and condemned by the Roman
Catholic Church
 He sold his soul to the devil
His Legacy
 His works inspire
musicians of all genres
 Truly represents what a
virtuoso is
 Representative of what
happens when someone is
completely focused on
their craft
Works Cited

Campbell, Margaret. The Great Violinists. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1981. Print.

Saussine, Renée De. Paganini. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1970. Print.

Wheeler, Opal, and Henry S. Gillette. Paganini: Master of Strings. New York: Dutton, 1950. Print.

www.thirteen.org/publishers/violin/paganini.html

www.viola-in-music.com/nicolo-paganini.html