Niccolo Paganini

Nicolo Paganini Born on October 27, 1782 in Genoa, Italy He began his musical endeavors at the age of 5 One of the greatest violin virtuosos in history Born on October 27, 1782 in Genoa, Italy, Niccolo Paganini stands as one of the greatest violin virtuosos in history. Not only did he master the violin, but the viola, guitar and composing. His life was full of tragedy and triumph, both helped form a master that was thought to have formed a pack with the devil in order to accomplish the techniques that defined him.

Nicolo Paganini He composed and performed his first sonata in 1790, at the age of 8. He studied under many great violinist including Giovanni Servetto and Alessando Rolla His chose a self-study program with a schedule of 15 hours a day of practice. He began his musical endeavors at the age of 5 on the mandolin. He began his career on the violin at the age of 6, instructed by his father Antonio. He composed and performed his first sonata in 1790, at the age of 8. He studied under many great violinist including Giovanni Servetto and Alessando Rolla, who simply stated he had nothing to teach the young man. His only recourse was self-study and a grueling schedule of 15 hours a day of practice

His Tours In 1795, he began to tour as a soloist He was the first performer to travel without any back up instruments, he performed completely unaccompanied In 1795, he began to tour as a soloist. At the age of 23, he was appointed the court solo violinist by Napoleon’s sister, Elisa Baciocchi, Princess of Lucca. He served as the music director for 3 years before embarking on a solo tour of Italy. In 1828, he began a six and a half year tour of Europe, visiting more than 40 cities. He was the first performer to travel without any back up instruments, he performed completely unaccompanied. This long and marvelous tour made him a very wealthy man

The Devil made him do it. He was labeled the “Hexenshon” the witch’s brat In 1828, he lost all of his teeth, this only added to the eerie and demonic persona His reputation seemed to fuel the fire of his technical abilities. He was labeled the “Hexenshon” the witch’s brat . This is where his association with the Devil came into play. A man once claimed he had actually seen the Devil helping the talented violinist . The consensus was that no one could play so meticulously unless they had a pact with the devil. Paganini played into the rumor by dressing in dark, somber clothing as well as maintaining a thin and pale frame. In 1828, he lost all of his teeth this only added to the eerie and demonic persona he had developed. The intrigue cased by the rumors caused people to flock to his performances, increasing his popularity

The Performer His compositions were written mostly for himself, as the techniques needed to play them were extremely advanced. He was one of the first performers not to use sheet m He would never perform a full solo piece in practice on stage The main draw of course was his music. His compositions were written mostly for himself, as the techniques needed to play them were extremely advanced. He mastered numerous techniques, including ricochet bowing scordata, pizzicato harmonics to create unusual sounds and fingering techniques He preferred to relay on his memory for his performances, he was one of the first performers not to use sheet music on stage. Also, he would never perform a full solo piece in practice; his performance was the debut of the completed piece

Techniques Ricochet Bowing - bouncing the bow against the string Scordatura- mis-tuning the strings so one can play in various keys without shifting Pizzicato - plucking the strings; with both left and right hand Harmonics were used to create unusual sounds

His Works His works included 32 pieces written for violin with accompaniments 5 violin solos 2 orchestral arrangements 4 chamber pieces guitar quartets Most of his works were never published due to lack of copy rights and his belief that they were too difficult for others to have ever played His works included 32 pieces written for violin with accompaniments, 5 violin solos, 2 orchestral arrangements and 4 chamber pieces . In 1816, he completed the 1st violin concerto in Eb. This piece was written using the scordatura technique, using a violin tuned up a semitone up. He composed many guitar quartets, although the violin was the main instrument and the remaining parts were written in a dark tone . In 1826, he composed the 2nd violin Concerto . . Most of his works were never published due to lack of copy rights and his belief that they were too difficult for others to have ever played

His Works The last movement, La Campanella, became so well known that Paganini played it without the preceding movements. Sonata per La Grand’ Viola and Orchestra was inspired by a Stadivari viola His most famous work, 24 Capricci, consisted of 24 individual pieces that highlight a particular skill The last movement, La Campanella, became so well known that Paganini played it without the preceding movements. One of his compositions for viola, Sonata per La Grand’ Viola and Orchestra was inspired by a Stadivari viola introduced to him by another composer, Hector Berlioz. His most famous work, 24 Capricci, was published in 1820. The 24 individual pieces highlight a particular skill, such as double stops, triple stops, fingering and shifting techniques.

His Instruments His primary violin was a Cannone Guarnerius . He gambled away his Amati violin and was lent the Guarnieri by an amateur violinist Paganini played a variety of instruments during his lifetime. His primary violin was a Cannone Guarnerius, built by Giuseppe Antonio Guarnieri. It was nicknamed “cannon” due to its tremendous sound. The particular violin found its way to Paganini due to a mishap at a betting table. He gambled away his Amati violin and was lent the Guarnieri by an amateur violinist

Defects Have Their Advantage Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Marfan syndrome As luck might have it, large reasons for Paganini’s extraordinary technique were his chronic diseases. He suffered from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which is an inherited disorder that disrupts the production of collagen. The symptoms include flexible joints that extend beyond the normal range of movement . This is the main reason he could master techniques that were impossible for people with normal joint movement. Another one of his ailments was Marfan syndrome, which causes disproportional growth in arms, legs, and digits . ). This also gave him his long limbs and fingers, an advantage in playing stringed instruments.

Personal Life Paganini had a son with Antonia Bianchi, named Achilles Cyrus Alexander He split with Antonia and raised Achilles on his own In 1825, Paganini had a son with Antonia Bianchi. Achilles Cyrus Alexander was born on July 23 and was a adored by his father. After he split with Antonia, he raised Achilles on his own.

Dark Side of Fame developed a drinking and gambling habit by the age of 16 a string of failed relationships Casino Paganini Dies in Nice, from cancer of the larynx. His life was filled with setbacks. He had developed a drinking and gambling habit by the age of 16, this lead to the loss of some of his instruments to pay off debts. He also had a string of failed relationships, one of which left him in prison for a few days on abduction charges . In 1838 he opened a casino in Paris, Casino Paganini, where he was to perform weekly but was unable to due to his failing health. . Paganini dies in Nice, Italy on May 27, 1840 from cancer of the larynx.

His Legacy Paganini Competition Cannone Guarnerius His magnificent compositions Genoa holds a yearly competition, Paganini Competition” in honor of the great artist and composer. The winner of the completion is allowed to play one of Paganini’s original violins as part of the prize. His famous Cannone Guarnerius is displayed in the Palazzo Tursi Museum in Genoa. To this day, Niccolo Paganini is regarded as one of, if not, the best violinist in history. His legacy will be carried on his magnificent compositions by the most talented artist of modern time.

Niccolo Paganini’s 24 Caprices Caprice No. 1 in E major: Andante-"L'Arpeggio", this composition matches chordal playing with ricochet across all 4 strings. The piece opens in E Major and then quickly transitions into an E minor development section, where descending scales in thirds are introduced Caprice No. 2 in B minor: Moderato-caprice in B minor focuses on detache with many string crossings across non-adjacent strings Caprice No. 3 in E minor: Sostenuto – Presto-slurred legato exercise with octave trills in the introduction and conclusion Caprice No. 4 in C minor: Maestoso-features passages with many multiple stops Caprice No. 5 in A minor: Agitato-focuses on fast ricochet bowings. It begins with a section of ascending arpeggios followed by descending scales Caprice No. 6 in G minor: Lento-exploits the use of left-hand tremolo on the violin by quickly alternating between different notes in the chord in one of the voices Caprice No. 7 in A minor: Posato-focuses on slurred staccato passages, featuring many long slurred scales and arpeggios Paganini began the composition of 24 Caprices for Single Violin Op.1 in 1802 after his studies in Parma with Pietro Locatelli, an Italian composed and violinist. The 24 caprices were written with an etude-esque structure, each one highlighting specific techniques. They were first published in 1819 by Edition Peters, a German publishing house, and later in 1821 by Ricordi. The piece was dedicated to simply “the Artists”. Here is a list of the 24 and a brief description on the techniques

Niccolo Paganini’s 24 Caprices Caprice No. 8 in E-flat major: Maestoso Caprice No. 9 in E major: Allegretto--"The Hunt", the violin's A and E strings imitate the flutes, while the G & D strings imitate the horns Caprice No. 10 in G minor: Vivace-primarily a study in up-bow staccato Caprice No. 11 in C major: Andante – Presto Caprice No. 12 in A-flat major: Allegro-consists of a slurred pattern of a melody on an upper string alternating with a drone note Caprice No. 13 in B-flat major: Allegro Caprice No. 14 in E-flat major: Moderato-displays the violin's ability to voice chords. It contains many triple and quadruple stops Caprice No. 15 in E minor: Posato Caprice No. 16 in G minor: Presto Caprice No. 17 in E-flat major: Sostenuto – Andante-The middle section is famous for the incredibly difficult octave passage.

Niccolo Paganini’s 24 Caprices Caprice No. 18 in C major: Corrente: Allegro-demonstrates playing on the G string in very high positions Caprice No. 19 in E-flat major: Lento – Allegro Assai Caprice No. 20 in D major: Allegretto-the use of the D string as a drone, back dropping a lyrical melody on the A and E strings Caprice No. 21 in A major: Amoroso: Presto-a very expressive, aria-like melody played in double-stopped sixth, followed by a section of rapid up-bow staccato Caprice No. 22 in F major: Marcato Caprice No. 23 in E-flat major: Posato-the middle, contrasting section is an exercise in string crossings that requires the violinist to play patterns of 3 sixteenth notes on the G string and then cross quickly to play one on the E string, and then back to the G string, all at a quick tempo Caprice No. 24 in A minor: Tema con Variazioni: Quasi Presto-the theme from is well known, and has been used as the basis for many pieces by a wide variety of composers. This caprice uses a wide range of advanced techniques such as tremendously fast scales and arpeggios, double and triple stops, left hand pizzicato, parallel octaves and tenths, rapid shifting, and strings crossings

Listening Guide for Caprice #24 by Niccolo Paganini http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHrZAplckpI 0:00 Introduction- mezzo forte, single violin, vibrant melody 0:07 mezzo piano, melody repeats 0:12 forte, melody repeats 0:30 vivace, forte, ricochet bowing technique 0:36 high pitch scales, variation of the melody 0:50-0:52 silence 0:53 mezzo forte, variation of the melody 1:14-1:16 silence 1:17 dramatic, low pitch double stops 2:00 high pitch ascending and descending scales 2:21 low- high pitch transitions; double stops 2:24 high pitch double stops 2:53 ascending scales 3:12 high pitch, urgent movement with low pith transitions 3:45 double and triple stops 4:14 right-hand pizzicato with ricochet bowing 4:42 largo, high pitched melody variation 5:32 silence 5:35 mezzo forte, double stops with ascending scales 6:07 ascending to descending scales 6:13 trills 6:18 finale, silence

Listening Guide for Caprice #20 by Niccolo Paganini http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jCXC3xdRVg 0:08 Introduction; single violin, melodic double stops, mezzo forte 0:24 A as drone undertone, higher pitch, clear resolution 0:29 D returns as drone undertone, low pitch, sad melody 0:44 A returns as drone undertone, higher pitch, clear resolution 0:50 triple stops with D as undertone, higher octave melody 1:01 low pith triple stops with G as drone undertone 1:14 rapid 16th note melody, low pitch, staccato 2:56 largo; melody variation with D as drone undertone 3:40 melody in higher octave 4:02 finale, silence

Listening Guide for Caprice #9 by Niccolo Paganini http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jCXC3xdRVg 0:07 introduction, single violin, light vibrant melody depicting a flute, mezzo forte 0:17 lower pitch, almost moody melody depicting a horn, double stops, low pitch, forte 0:22 flute melody returns 0:24 horn melody returns to answer 0:25 flute melody returns, double stops, leads to resolution of previous interaction in the two melodies 0:28 melody variation combining the two octaves, double stops, forte, majestic 0:56 flute melody returns (next section as a conversation, answering each other) 1:06 horn melody returns 1:12 flute melody returns

Listening Guide for Caprice #9 by Niccolo Paganini 1:14 horn melody returns 1:15 flute melody returns 1:19 both melodies answering one another as if conversing, descending staccato runs 1:45 scale melody, slightly slower tempo, trills 1:51 scale melody repeats as above 1:52 both melodies conversing, ricochet bowing, 16th notes, resolution before returning to the melody 2:21 flute melody returns 2:32 horn melody returns 2:38 flute melody returns 2:28 horn melody returns 2:40 flute melody returns for resolution 2:48 finale, silence

References www.imslp.org www.lifeinitaly.com www.mayoclinic.com reference.findtarget.com www.paganini.com www.youtube.com www.viola-in-music.com/nicolo-paganini.html www.wikipedia.com