Books › Voice and violin, 1898 › scan 103
Scan 103
Voice and violin, 1898
10 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 83. See the scan on archive.org.
1selves, Paganini has been generally looked upon as a man of mean habits. Many have accused him of selfishness, and of driving hard bargains. On the other hand, he has been known to do several generous actions. He is said to have presented to Sivori the fine Vuillaume violin upon which the latter produced such marvellous effects in his concerts; he has been known occasionally to give concerts for charitable purposes; and a few other liberal acts have been attributed to him, such as the way in which he transformed Ciandelli, a violoncellist, from a second-rate performer into an artist of the first rank, in return for kindness done to himself.
3Nevertheless, Paganini has been generally regarded by his contemporaries, and by those who have studied his career, as a man who was both taciturn and stingy.
5Suddenly he acquired the reputation of being one of the most generous men that ever lived!
7At a time when Berlioz was struggling to keep misery from his door, it was reported that his friend and fellow-musician, Paganini, had made him a present of 10,000 francs (£400). This trait of generosity was talked about all over Europe at the time, and had the effect of drawing attention to the works of Berlioz. Up to the present time this anecdote has been considered as absolutely correct.
9Alas! it is not true. It is absolutely incorrect,
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