Scan 36
Groves Dictionary Of Music And Musicians,vol.4, Ed.3, 1908
12 lines. Read by computer on 18 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1the bassoon. He had complained that he could find nothing difficult enough for his ambitious talent, and the great virtuoso at once cleverly supplied the need.
3At the beginning of the year 1797 Paganini quitted Parma, and, accompanied by his father, made his first professional tour. He visited all the principal towns in Lombardy, and at each successive appearance enhanced his growing reputation. On his return to Genoa, he wrote his first compositions for the violin (this is not counting the lost work, which he composed at the age of 9), and filled his music with such novel technical difficulties that he was himself compelled to study certain passages with assiduity. He was now almost 14, and, looking back on a childhood of ceaseless labour, he resolved to strike for freedom. The opportunity arrived with the annual musical fête celebrated on St. Martin's day at Lucca. He entreated his father to allow him to go thither with his elder brother. The consent was at first withheld, but in the end he prevailed, and set forth upon his journey. Lucca hailed the young artist's efforts with such unanimous applause that he extended his travels to Pisa and the neighbouring towns.
5At last, released from home restraint, and with but small knowledge of the world, Paganini's nature became prone to welcome every form of licence, and to mistake licence for independence. On one occasion his losses at cards reduced him to the extremity of pawning his violin. In this condition he arrived at Leghorn to fulfil an engagement, and was at his wits' end how to procure an instrument, when the kindness of a French merchant—Livron—relieved him of his difficulty, by lending him a fine Joscph Guarnerius. After the concert Paganini essayed to return the instrument to its owner, but nothing would induce the amateur to accept it. 'No,' he said; 'my hands shall never profane the violin which your fingers have touched; the instrument belongs to you.' Paganini, on a later occasion, gained another violin—a Stradivarius—from Pasini the painter for his easy accomplishment of the artist's challenge to play a certain difficult concerto at sight, but the Guarnerius was ever his most cherished possession.
7At this time Paganini's career was chequered by many adventures. Art—love affairs—gambling—interrupted by long intervals of utter exhaustion, filled his life and put a severe strain upon his fragile constitution. At length an event happened which effectually cured him of his gambling propensities. A certain Prince had for some time coveted Paganini's Guarnerius violin, and, coming upon the virtuoso in great poverty, offered him 2000 francs for it. Paganini was sorely tempted to accept the offer, being inconveniently pressed by a debt of honour, but, as a last resource, resolved to risk his only available funds—thirty francs—at the gaming-table. After reducing the original sum to the perilous amount of three francs, fortune turned in his favour, and he won 160 francs. From that day he ceased to gamble, being convinced, as he said, 'that a gamester is an object of contempt to all well-regulated minds.'
9From 1801-04 Paganini resided at the Château of a lady of rank in Tuscany. During the absorption of this love affair he ceased to play in public, and devoted himself to the study of the guitar, for which he composed two sets of duets (opp. 2, 3), with violin. In after years the period of this amorous adventure was selected to give credence to sensational stories of his supposed imprisonment. Not until his arrival in Vienna in 1828 did he publicly challenge the calumny by issuing a manifesto, which was inserted in the leading Viennese journals, in Italian and German, on Apr. 10. In spite of this, his detractors continued to circulate rumours concerning his league with the devil, and similar fancies; these followed him, and were repeated about him wherever he went. In Paris in 1830 he was greatly mortified by the sight of a picture of himself which depicted him in prison. Again he wrote a full statement, which was published in the Revue musicale, in which he proved that the mistake was caused by the confusion of his name with a violinist called Durawoski, who had been arrested for conspiring to murder a wealthy priest.
11In 1804 Paganini's love for the violin was reawakened by an acquaintance with Locatelli's studies for the violin, and his 'Arte di nuova modulazione.' He returned to Genoa, applied himself to assiduous study, and composed his two sets (opp. 4, 5) of three quartets, for violin, viola, guitar and violoncello, as well as a set of bravura variations for violin, with guitar accompaniment. In 1805 Paganini resumed his public appearances in Italy, everywhere creating a furore. In March of this year Napoleon's sister—Elisa Bacecocchi, Princess of Lucca and Piombo—invited him to her court, and, in spite of his vow that he would ever remain unfettered by any regular post, induced him to accept that of director of her private music. She also conferred the rank of Captain of the Royal Bodyguard upon him, so that he might be admitted to all the court functions, and made him conductor of the Opera orchestra. The emoluments granted him at the court were so scanty that inference suggests sentimental reasons for his temporary resignation of the roving life he delighted in. While at the Piombo Court an 'affair' with a lady of rank whom he dared not approach publicly induced him to write his 'Scène amoureuse,' for two strings only. The lady was excessively touched with his performance, and 'the Princess,' says Paganini,
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