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Scan 264
The violin and its music, 1885
8 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 246. See the scan on archive.org.
1Section VI.—The Violin in Italy.
3CHAPTER V.
5WITH Giovanni Battista Viotti begins the Modern school of the Violin. He was born in Piedmont on the 23rd of May, 1753; his father was a horn player, and from him he received his early musical knowledge. He ultimately became a pupil of Pugnani at Turin, and entered the orchestra of the Royal Chapel there as a Violinist. In 1780 he left Turin, visiting Germany, Russia, Poland, and this country.* Here he was importuned to remain; he, however, went to Paris, where he made his début at the Concert Spirituel in 1782. He played one of his own concertos, the striking originality of which, combined with the composer's splendid tone and elegant style, made an extraordinary impression upon his audience. In most biographies of Viotti, the account of this performance is followed by one of those anecdotes in which the artist figures as vanquished, vain, or contemptible; in this instance
7* M. Fétis states that Viotti accompanied Pugnani on his tour, but this must be an error, as Pugnani left London in 1770 for Turin, where he remained afterwards.
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