Niccolo Paganini – The Most Celebrated Violinist Of 19th Century

Niccolo Paganini, born on 27 October 1782 was an Italian violinist, guitarist, and composer. He was one of the most celebrated violin virtuosi of his time and has left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique. His several compositions have served as an inspiration for many prominent composers to date.

Childhood

Niccolo Paganini was born in Genoa as the third of the six children of Antonio and Teresa Paganini. His father was a trader but not a successful one. At the age of 5, Niccolo started learning the mandolin from his father. After that, he moved to the violin by the age of seven. He has an extraordinary musical talent at a young age and that’s why we can call him a former child prodigy. His exceptional musical skills were quickly recognized and earned him numerous scholarships for violin lessons.

Niccolo Paganini

The young Paganini learned under several local violinists, including Giovanni Servetto and Giacomo Costa. But very soon he became better than them. Paganini then traveled to Parma with his father to seek further guidance from Alessandro Rolla. But after listening to his playing, Rolla immediately referred him to his own teacher, Ferdinando Paer. After that, Niccolo learned from Paer’s own teacher, Gasparo Ghiretti. Although he did not stay long with Paer or Ghiretti, both of them had considerable influence on his compositional style.

Early Career Of Niccolo Paganini

Genoa was not spared when the French invaded northern Italy in March 1796, and. It is believed that Niccolo built his relationship with Guitar in this time period. He mastered the guitar but he used to play it only in exclusively intimate, rather than public concerts. In later years, he described the guitar as his “constant companion” on his tours.

By 1800, Paganini traveled to Livorno with his father, where he played in concerts and his father resumed his maritime work. In 1801, this 18-year-old boy got the first violin of the Republic of Lucca. But, a remarkable portion of his income came from freelancing. Niccolo’s fame as a violinist was matched only as a gambler and womanizer.

Later Career

Throughout his life, Paganini remained chronically ill. However, there is no definite medical proof, people believe that he was suffering from Marfan syndrome or Ehlers–Danlos syndrome. Niccolo was also suffering from syphilis as early as 1822. In 1834, while still in Paris, he was got treatment for tuberculosis. These diseases affected his career as he has to cancel his concerts a lot of times.

An incredible musician

In September 1834, he decided to end his concert career and returned to Genoa. He then got students to teach, and two of them became popularly successful; violinist Camillo Sivori and cellist Gaetano Ciandelli. Paganini returned to Parma in 1835.

Final Years & Death | Niccolo Paganini

In 1836, Paganini went to Paris to set up a casino. His immediate failure made him financially unstable. On the Christmas of 1838, Niccolo left Paris for Marseille. After a brief stay there, he traveled to Nice where his condition even worsened. On 27 May 1840, he died from internal hemorrhaging.