Scan 37
Grove's dictionary of music and musicians;, 1904
4 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1charitable practices gained him a title. From documents belonging to another contemporary, the Bishop of Capo d’ Istria, Paolo Naldini, now preserved in the Episcopal Archives at Trieste, it would appear that Tartini’s father became a member of the staff of the Public Salt Works in Pirano on Sept. 16, 1692; but he doubtless settled there some years before this, for the marriage-registers for the year 1685 — preserved among the Archives of the Collegiata di Pirano — announce that Giovanni Antonio Tartini espoused Catarina, daughter of Messer Pietro Zangando (not Giando as stated by Fanzago, and others), on March 5, in that year at Pirano. Here also is recorded the baptism of ‘Iseppo,’ son of the above, ‘by me Pre Giov Maria Vanturini, Canon: Godfather, Signor Simon Testa; Godmother, Signora Bartolomea, wife of Signor Girolamo Apollonio.’ Tartini’s father, besides being ennobled, would appear to have been wealthy, being the owner of the beautiful villa Struegnano, and much property in its neighbourhood. It was here that Giuseppe, his brothers Domenico, Antonio, Pietro, and a sister — who died in infancy — were born. One of the priests belonging to the order of St. Filippo Neri of Pirano superintended Giuseppe’s earliest education, and as soon as his capacities permitted, he was admitted into the Collegio dei Padri delle Scuole Pie, at Capo d’ Istria. According to Fanzago, he learnt the rudiments of music and the violin here, though there is little authority to show that Tartini took much interest in the violin or music in his childhood. He remained at Capo d’ Istria until 1709, in which year his father obtained permission from the Bishop (Paolo Naldini) to pursue his studies at the University of Padua. The Bishop’s consent was dated Feb. 22, 1709, and it caused a good deal of variance between the father and son as to his destined avocation. The father’s wish was to see his son one of the brotherhood of the Minori Conventuali, and to this end he even went as far as to promise a handsome contribution to the ‘Convento’ of Pirano should his desire be attained. But the prospect of studying theology held no attractions for the youthful Tartini, who was of an ardent and vivacious nature, and in spite of the fact that his father’s counsels were endorsed by the Bishop, he gained his point, and entered the Padua University as a law student. He was just seventeen, passionately fond of art, and above all devoted to fencing, in which he became so excellent that few could stand against him. In addition to this he was devoted to music, and at one time seriously contemplated opening a fencing-school at Naples which should form his means of subsistence whilst he followed his inclination as a violinist. Instead, however, he remained at the University until his twentieth year (1713) when his love for one of his pupils — by name Elisabetta Premazone — changed the tenor of his life. This lady has frequently been alluded to as the niece of Cardinal Giorgio Cornaro. More recently it has been thought that she was no connection of the Cardinal’s, but a daughter of one of his dependants. In any case the Cardinal occupied himself with her welfare, and in the matter of her runaway marriage with Tartini his interest took the form of wrathful disapproval, which he demonstrated by ordering Tartini’s arrest. To this were added the strong objections of his family, who deprived him of all support, and in this predicament the young man found himself compelled to fly from the city disguised as a monk, leaving his wife at Padua. The story goes that he wended his way towards Rome in the first instance, then wandered wearily over the country, living from hand to mouth, until he fortunately met a relative who occupied a position as custodian in the Monastery of Assisi, where he found a haven of refuge. Little is known of Tartini’s residence at Assisi, except that it was a time of serious study and contemplation for him. Here, according to his great friend Gian Rinaldo Carli, Professor of Navigation and Astronomy at the University of Padua, he discovered what is generally known as the ‘third sound,’ a problem in acoustics beyond his scientific knowledge to explain, but since lucidly expounded by Helmholtz. He also inaugurated the use of violin-strings thicker than those that had hitherto served violinists, and in addition he had his bow made of lighter wood, corrected the outward bulge of the stick, diminished the size of the head, and fluted the wood at the heel of the bow so as to obtain a surer grip. It was here also that he wrote his famous ‘Trillo del Diavolo’ which, according to the account of its composition which he gave to M. Lalande the great astronomer, came to him in a dream. The story is recounted by Lalande in his Voyage d’un François en Italie (1765–66), vol. viii. p. 292) in the following manner: ‘One night I dreamt that I had made a bargain with the devil for my soul. Everything went at my command; my novel servant anticipated every one of my wishes. Then the idea suggested itself to hand him my violin to see what he would do with it. Great was my astonishment when I heard him play, with consummate skill, a Sonata of such exquisite beauty as surpassed the boldest flights of my imagination. I felt enraptured, transported, enchanted; my breath failed me, and — I awoke. Seizing my violin I tried to reproduce the sounds I had heard. But in vain. The piece I then composed, The Devil’s Sonata, although the best I ever wrote, how far was it below the one I had heard in my dream!’
3Tartini remained at Assisi nearly two years studying composition with the ‘padre Boemo’ (see CZERNOHORSKY), and attracting people to
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