Books › Famous violinists and fine violins : historical notes, anecdotes, and reminiscences, 1896 › scan 66
Scan 66
Famous violinists and fine violins : historical notes, anecdotes, and reminiscences, 1896
8 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 46. See the scan on archive.org.
1asserted, doubtless with much truth, that there is no royal road to brilliant execution, and that nothing but downright hard work, combined with an extraordinary natural gift, could account for the wonderful impression Paganini made in the world of music, and on violinists in particular.
3On the other hand, we are reminded that the violoncellist Ciandelli, who was very kind to Paganini during one of his attacks of illness at Naples, and who was known to be a very indifferent soloist, though a good musician and orchestral player, had given to him by the great Genoese artiste, in return for this kindness, some insight into the secret in question, and was thereby transformed, in less than a fortnight, from a very mediocre performer into a virtuoso of the first rank.
5Let us add to this, that among the very few persons to whom Nicolo Paganini gave any instruction, the young girl, Signora Calcagno, of Genoa, astonished the musical world in that part of Europe by the boldness and brilliancy of her playing; and some time afterwards, the late Camillo Sivori, one of the finest, if not the very finest violin player ever heard, and of whom I shall speak again in this volume, also made a great and lasting impression.
7That this secret existed more in the actual execution than in the composition of the works performed may be taken for granted; for, on scrutinising the compositions of Paganini, it is clear that
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