Nicolo Paganini: His Life and Work Part 11

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Plate 27.--See Appendix._

MEDAL STRUCK IN PAGANINI'S HONOUR IN 1831.]

True, the world has remembered him sufficiently to place memorial tablets on the houses where he was born and died. Fifty years after his death a tablet was affixed to the house wherein he breathed his last, and at the centenary celebration of his birth the following inscription was placed on the house wherein he first saw the light: "A great honour fell to the lot of this modest house, in which, on the 27th October, 1782, Nicolo Paganini, unsurpa.s.sed in the divine art of tone, was born, to the glory of Genoa and to the delight of the world." At present one may enquire in vain of most Genoese people as to the position of Paganini's birthplace, and chance alone will direct one, who trusts to them for the information, to the slum quarter and the narrow street where the building stands. Difficult though it may be, however, to find this spot, it is an easy task to find the Palazzo Munic.i.p.ale where reposes the famous Guarnerius violin of Paganini.

This superb instrument, bequeathed to the city of Genoa by Paganini himself, has been most carefully preserved by the civic authorities.

It has only twice been heard in public--once at the 1882 celebrations--since Paganini's death, and on both occasions it was played by his favourite pupil Sivori. It was carefully examined and photographed by Mr. Edward Heron-Allen in 1885, and a very interesting account was given by him[59] of the manner in which the violin was worn away by Paganini's peculiar method of playing. After describing its general condition he says, "The patch by the side of the tailpiece and the large wear on the back tell of the force with which he held the instrument in those high and pizzicato pa.s.sages, which account for the long groove down the side of the fingerboard and the broad patch at the side of the neck, on the table of the instrument. The wearing away of the edges in the curves of the instrument bear a striking testimony to the force with which he sawed the gut in his bravura pa.s.sages on the first and fourth strings." In the same gla.s.s case as the violin is placed the medal presented to Paganini by the Decurional Council of Genoa in 1834. On the reverse it bears this inscription:--

Nic. Paganino, Fidicini, cui nemo par fuit civique bene mecrenti A.D. MDCCCx.x.xIIII.

Such outward honours as the world gives to its dead have indeed been offered to the memory of Paganini; but it is doubtful whether the higher honour of a frank recognition by the musical world of the work that he did for it, has ever been his. Unlike the great composer the instrumentalist leaves behind him no visible proof of the part he has played in the development of his art. And the world has easily forgotten that from the day of Paganini not only was the violin transformed into a new instrument, not only were its capabilities, previously undreamt of, newly revealed, but also in other branches of musical art, in orchestral music especially, a fresh field was opened up before the composer. It is scarcely too much to say that the scores of Tchaikovsky and Richard Strauss could not have been written, had Paganini never lived. We do not desire to see another Paganini, so complete a slave to his instrument, albeit its master; we do not desire to see another such life, with bodily health and moral vigour sacrificed to so absorbing a devotion to one single end. We would fain believe that Nicolo Paganini did not live in vain, that like a real artist he had and fulfilled his mission, that the evil he did died with him and that the good lives on to benefit the world.

THE END.

FOOTNOTES:

[58] Reproduced on page 144.

[59] _The Musical Times_, May 1st, 1886.

APPENDIX.

NOTES ON THE ILl.u.s.tRATIONS IN THIS VOLUME.

_Plate 1_--Frontispiece.

Portrait of NICOL PAGANINI, by Maurin, a French Artist. Free from caricature, it is probably the most authentic picture of the great virtuoso. It appeared in the seventh volume of the "Revue Musicale."

_Plate 2_--Facing page 4.

THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE CELEBRATED PAGANINI in the Pa.s.so di Gatto Moro, Genoa, Italy. The house is in a squalid neighbourhood--a dirty, narrow alley now occupied by the poorest of the city. Probably no worse than at the time of Paganini's birth. There is a tablet which reads as follows:--

Alta ventura sort.i.ta ad umile luogo in questa casa il giorno XXVII di Ottobre dell' anno MDCCLx.x.xII Nacque a decoro di Genova a delizia del mondo Nicol Paganini nella divina arte dei suoni insuperato maestro.

The date 1782 given here confirms the latest research that Paganini was born in that year and not in 1784 so usually quoted.

_Plate 3_--Facing page 14.

PAGANINI'S VIOLIN, BOW, CASE, ETC., in the Munic.i.p.al Museum at Genoa.

This is the celebrated Joseph Guarnerius on which the great virtuoso invariably performed. The instrument is under a gla.s.s shade, and with other relics of Paganini, preserved in a strong safe. It is stated that 5,000 has, in vain, been offered for the violin.

_Plate 4_--Facing page 20.

THIS IS ANOTHER CARICATURE--Paganini performing on a tight rope--under which is printed "Exercices sur une seule corde,"--in reference to his one string solos. This was published by Mori and Lavenu, London, circa 1831.

_Plate 5_--Facing page 40.

This is, we believe, from a contemporary German picture.

_Plate 6_--Facing page 50.

This humorous picture is on the t.i.tle-page of a comic song, "The wonderful Paganini, or London fiddling mad." The poetry by W. T.

Moncrieff, Esq., and the melody by one of the first composers of the day! London, published by Leoni Lee, circa 1831. The "poetry" is not of a cla.s.sical standard.

"What a hubbub! what a fuss! all London sure are frantic Sirs, The Prince of Fiddlers has arriv'd, great Paganini has come.

So wonderful, exorbitant, so frightful, so romantic, Sirs, the world of Music at his mighty presence are struck dumb.

So firm his touch, so fine his stop, everyone must own his sway, Great King King of Catgut! Agitato! presto! Who but he Sirs, Mori, Spagnoletti, now must second fiddle play, Sirs-- Glory be to Tweedle dum! Success to Tweedle dee! Sirs-- Such golden sounds, he from one string can draw, no sum can pay him, Sirs, Germany, France, Italy, combined his fame to puff The prices must be doubled, all the world crowd to survey him, Sirs, Four thousand pounds a night to pay him is not half enough, Sixpences, none, after this, must dare call fiddlers' money Sirs.

Thousands, tens of thousands, must the wondrous man reward,"

etc., etc., and so on for five verses!

_Plate 7_--Facing page 54.

SIGR. PAGANINI. During one of his performances at the King's Theatre, June, 1831. From a contemporary lithograph of the celebrated sketch by D. Maclise, R.A., now in the Foster Collection, South Kensington Museum.

In the background are J. B. Cramer, Lindley, Dragonetti, Mori, etc. This is, perhaps, the most interesting print of the great violinist. It was published on July 12th, 1831, by W. Spooner, 259, Regent Street, London.

_Plate 8_--Facing page 60.

Reproduction of the celebrated Statuette (caricature), by Dainton.

_Plate 9_--Facing page 66.

PAGANINI WITH THE VIOLIN, Rossini at the pianoforte and the celebrated prima-donna Pasta. (Jos. McGuire, delt., printed by Englemann & Co.), circa 1832.

_Plate 10_--Facing page 76.

A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING OF PAGANINI in the Munic.i.p.al Museum at Genoa. The face full of intellect, shows the ravages of the disease which was so soon to terminate his existence.

_Plate 11_--Facing page 80.

THE HOUSE AT NICE IN WHICH PAGANINI DIED on the 27th May, 1840. It was formerly the residence of the Count de Sessol. The lower part has been converted into shops.

_Plate 12_--Facing page 80.

THE TABLET, with inscription, fixed on the front of the house, Rue de la Prefecture, Nice, France.

_Plate 13_--Facing page 84.

THE TOMB OF PAGANINI AT PARMA. Neither religious nor political martyr ever had so many objections made to his obsequies. To the cemetery, near Parma, in November, 1876, the embalmed remains of Paganini were transposed from the family villa at Gaione, by order of his son, the Baron Achille (who died in December, 1895). The funeral was held at night by torchlight. A nephew, the Baron Attila Paganini, followed, and crowds of curious sightseers joined the procession. In 1893 there was erected the beautiful mausoleum which is now depicted from the only known photograph, taken expressly for THE STRAD. It bears this inscription:--

Qui riposano le ceneri di Nicol Paganini Che traendo dal violino armonie divine Scosse genio insuperabile tutta Europa e cinse all'Italia, Nuova sfolgorante corona.

Mente elettissima Compose stupendamente in musica Ammirato dai piu ill.u.s.tri maestri.

Cuore oltremodo generoso don largamente ai parenti, agli artisti ai poveri.