PAGANINI, NICOLO Italian virtuoso on the violin, was born at Genoa on Feb. 18, 1784. His father Antonio, a clever amateur, who was in the shipping business, taught him the violin at a very early age, and he had further lessons from the maestro di cappella of the cathedral of San Lorenzo. He first ap peared in public at Genoa in 1793, with triumphant success. He studied strenuously, practising single passages for ten hours at a time, and publishing compositions so difficult that he alone could play them. His first professional tour, through the cities of Lom bardy, was made with his father in 1797. For some years he led a chequered career, and to pay his gambling debts had to pawn even his violin. A French merchant named Livron helped him out of his difficulties, however, and gave him a fine instrument, a Joseph Guarnerius, thenceforward his most treasured possession. Between 18o1 and 1804 he lived in retirement, in Tuscany, with a noble lady who was in love with him. In 1805 he started on a tour through Europe, astonishing the world with his matchless performances, and especially with his unprecedented playing on the fourth string alone. In Venice, in 1815, after having been taken up by the Princess of Lucca and Piombo, Napoleon's sister, who made him her musical director, he began a liaison with An tonia Bianchi, a dancer, which lasted till 1828; and by her he had a son Achillino, born in 1826. Meanwhile the world rang with his
fame. In 1827 the pope honoured him with the Order of the Golden Spur; and, in the following year, he extended his travels to Ger many, beginning with Vienna, where he created a profound sen sation. He first appeared in Paris in 1831; and on June 3 in that i year he played in London at the King's Theatre. In 1832 he returned to Italy, and bought a villa near Parma. In 1833 he spent the winter in Paris, and in 1834 Berlioz composed for him his symphony, Harold en Italie. In 1838 he suffered serious losses in Paris through the failure of the "Casino Paganini," a gambling house which was refused a licence. The disasters of this year increased his malady—laryngeal phthisis—and he died at Nice on May 17, 1840. His will left a fortune of i80,000 to his son Achil lino ; and he bequeathed his Guarnerius to the municipality of Genoa, who preserve it as one of their dearest possessions.