Paganini - in league with the devil

As one of the most mythic musical composers, Paganini went down in history as the greatest violin virtuoso to ever been born. At least for a couple of centuries.

In fact, his violin playing abilities were so amazing, that people believed his mother had sold her sons soul to the devil to make him the best violin player who has ever lived. Today, many of the myths around the Italian composer have been debunked and much more about his personal life is known.

Niccolò Paganini started studying the violin at the tender age of seven years old, being taught by his father. He soon realized his son’s talent and referred him to the local violinist G. Servetto and then Giacomo Costa. At only eleven years old, Paganini had his first public performance. Shortly afterwards, he was sent to study with other famous violinists like Alessandro Rolla, Ferdinando Paer and Gasparo Ghiretti. He could perform every recital without sheet music, only by memorizing, and was able to play up to 12 notes per second. As he became more and more famous, playing dozens of solo tours, he increasingly had breakdowns which he tried to drown in alcohol, excessive gambling, and numerous sexual affairs. Once he even lost his precious violin to gambling debts.

As rumors started to spread, Niccolò Paganini is said to have murdered a woman, used her intestines as violin strings and imprisoned her soul within the instrument. Whenever he performed on stage, women’s screams are said to be heard from his violin.

But who was Niccolò Paganini really? How much about the myths is true? And how are they explainable?

Paganini’s appearance was the main reason for many of the myths surrounding his character. His hollow cheeks, pale skin, thin and tall figure, accompanied with his extremely long and thin fingers played into the hands of people’s imagination. Aside from that, he liked to dress utterly in black robes. No wonder, the public started to spread rumors about him in disbelief of his incredible talent. Today, we know that his unusual finger length, which allowed him to play three octaves in one hand span, was due to Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder. His ability to play at incredible speed can be attributed to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. It is a disease that causes increased flexibility and lack of coordination.

As a popular idol he also revolutionized violin technique. He invented bow bounces (spiccato), left-hand pizzicato (plucking of strings) and harmonics. He even mistuned strings to make certain pieces easier to play. All of these techniques are still in use today.

In the 18th and 19th century, when Christian belief was still the main dictator of life, the violin was regarded to be the devil’s instrument. In many paintings, the devil was shown holding the violin. Since it was often played at dances and gatherings where food, drink and merriment ensued, it was seen as an instrument that lured the devil and sinful behavior. During the Renaissance period the violin was depicted as Death’s accessory. The seemingly superhuman skill required to play the violin led to the concept of having made a pact or deal with the devil. Also called Mephistopheles.

Inspired by the Romantic mystique of the virtuoso, some even thought Paganini could be the Devil himself. One of the first rumors started to spread at a concert in Vienna. An audience member claims to have seen the devil helping Paganini play and even made lightning strike at the end of his bow.

His playing style was characterized by an intense ferocity and at the same time sensitivity. His strings broke regularly during concerts, and he was known for being able to play a whole serenate on one string. Most notably, “The Witches Dance” which is a piece played only on one string (D-string).

A French merchant once lent him a Guarneri violin to play a concert and, after hearing him, gave him the instrument to keep. This famous violin was constructed in 1743 by Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri. Today it is a national treasure and on permanent display at the Palazzo Doria-Tursi in Genoa, Italy.

In his late life, Niccolò Paganini was plagued with illness. He contracted syphilis in 1822, which was being treated with mercury, but led to further heath problems. In 1834, he caught tuberculosis, but seemingly recovered shortly after. Nonetheless, he found himself getting weaker and weaker. He decided to retire from public performances and spent his last years teaching the violin. In 1838 he lost his voice due to larynx cancer, which was also the cause of his death three years later, at the age of 57. His illegitimate son Achilles, who was later legitimized inherited Paganini’s fortune.

The local church however refused to bury his body in consecrated ground. So, over the next four years, his corpse would be transported on an extraordinary tour of Europe until Pope Gregory XVI finally allowed Paganini’s body to be transported to Genoa, where he was laid to rest in La Villetta Cemetery in Parma, Italy.