B2 : Niccolò Paganini
Below is a B2 level English reading task about the violin virtuoso Niccolo Paganini.
Niccolò Paganini : The Man & The Myth
​Niccolò Paganini: The Devil’s Violinist
Paganini's legendary violin playing was so wickedly good that it was thought he could only have received his gifts from the devil!
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“The greatness of this genius, unequalled, unsurpassed, precludes even the idea of a successor. No one will be able to follow in his footsteps; no name will equal in his glory.” - Franz Liszt
Considered as one of the greatest violinists of all time, Paganini was an Italian composer and the most celebrated violin virtuoso of the 19th century. His repertoire and modern violin techniques, found in his 24 Caprices, left a mark in music history.
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Why was Paganini called the Devil's Violinist?
Niccolò Paganini earned the moniker "The Devil's Violinist" due to the astonishing prowess of his violin playing, which was often attributed to an otherworldly source, the devil himself. He was particularly known for performing recitals without sheet music, memorising everything instead, and could play up to 12 notes per second. People believed he had made a pact with the devil... how else could he play the violin like no one before?
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The Devil's Violinist's fortunate beginnings
Born on October 27, 1782, in Genoa, Italy, Paganini was always destined to a gifted musical life. Taking up the violin at a really young age under his father’s influence, Paganini quickly became a child prodigy. His musical talents were recognized and praised, earning him scholarships and violin lessons with famous violinists such as Giovanni Servetto and Giacomo Costa. Following such prominent training, he made his first public appearance at 11. Aged 15, Paganini embarked on a tour of Italy, making a reputation for himself.
However, this premature independence took a turn for the worse as he suffered from a mental breakdown and started drinking and gambling excessively. Quickly overburdened with debts, his name became associated with his reputation as a gambler and a womanizer. Once, the struggling musician is even believed to have pawned his violin in order to settle his debts. To play a concert, he was then lent a Guarneri violin by a wealthy merchant, who eventually gave it to him after hearing him play.
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Quiz 1.0
1 - Paganini's legendary violin playing was so wickedly good that it was thought he could only have received his gifts from the devil!
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
2 - Considered as one of the greatest violinists of all time, Paganini was an Italian composer and the most celebrated violin virtuoso of the 18th century. ​
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
3 - His repertoire and modern violin techniques, found in his 36 Caprices, left a mark in music history.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
4 - Niccolò Paganini earned the moniker "The Devil's Violinist" due to the astonishing prowess of his violin playing, which was often attributed to an otherworldly source, the devil himself.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
5 - He was particularly known for performing recitals without sheet music, memorizing everything instead, and could play up to 14 notes per second.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​​
6 - People believed he had made a pact with the devil
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
7 - Born on October 27, 1782, in Napoli, Italy, Paganini was always destined to a gifted musical life.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
8 - Taking up the violin at a really young age under his father’s influence, Paganini quickly became a child prodigy.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​​
9 - His musical talents were recognized and praised, earning him scholarships and violin lessons with famous violinists such as Antonio Salieri and Giacomo Puccini.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
10 - Following such prominent training, he made his first public appearance at age 11.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
11 - Aged 15, Paganini embarked on a tour of Austria, making a reputation for himself.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
12 - Premature independence took a turn for the worse as he suffered from a mental breakdown and started drinking and gambling excessively.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​​
13 - Quickly overburdened with debts, his name became associated with his reputation as a gambler and a womanizer.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
14 - Paganini was an avid ornithologist.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
15 - Once, the struggling musician is even believed to have pawned his violin in order to settle his debts.
a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
​
​
​
Paganini's growing fame
Despite this unruly life, Paganini kept on composing and playing. His most famous work, the 24 Caprices were most likely written between 1801 and 1807. His Caprices for solo violin displayed and popularized his modern string techniques such as bow bounces, left-hand pizzicato and harmonics. He also mastered trick effects such as cutting one or two violin strings and only playing with the remaining strings. Reappearing on the musical stage in 1805, Paganini became a violinist for the Baciocchi court before being appointed director of music at Piombino by Napoleon’s sister, Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi.
After doing concerts all around Italy, Paganini’s fame started to spread and by 1828, he had reached great success during his tour all over Europe. In 1827, he was even awarded the Order of the Golden Spur by Pope Leo XII. His revolutionary violin techniques received a lot of attention as well as his own works like his violin concertos, his sonatas for violin and guitar, his quartets, and his sets of variations. Among all of this, he is also known for his many modified versions of concertos by his contemporaries, such as Rodolphe Kreutzer and Giovanni Battista Viotti.
Once his fame and wealth were well-established, Paganini settled in Paris and commissioned Hector Berlioz to write his symphony Harold in Italy. However, not satisfied with the four-movement orchestral and viola compositions, he never performed it but wrote his own Sonata per la Gran Viola Op. 35.
Did you know of Paganini's affections for another instrument?
The famous violinist virtuoso who wrote La Campanella also owned many guitars throughout his life, including one made by Grobert of Mirecourt that he later gave to Berlioz. Another one was made by Gennaro Fabricatore, which he refused to pawn despite his many debts. He held onto it until his death.
Paganini's tainting reputation
Due to his lanky and pale appearance, he was also nicknamed “Rubber Man”, and rumours about him were countless. His amazing violin skills were believed to be a gift from the devil. Some believed they had seen his doppelganger with horns and hooves. Others claimed he had murdered women and imprisoned their souls within his instrument… No matter how true or false they were, his reputation suffered a lot from it to the point where Paganini was harassed and mobbed on the street. It is now believed that this was the result of a genetic syndrome, either the Marfan syndrome or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
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Consequently, the Italian composer and violin virtuoso had few close friends, including composers Gioachino Rossini and Hector Berlioz, whom he considered “Beethoven’s successor”. Paganini was seriously involved with the singer Antonia Bianchi, whom he met around 1813. The two performed many concerts together, and, although their relationship was never made official, they had a son, Achilles Ciro Alessandro, born in 1825.
How did Paganini die?
Around 1822, Paganini’s health drastically started to decline and he became very sick. He was diagnosed with syphilis, and by trying to cure it with mercury and opium, he developed further health problems including tuberculosis in 1834. Getting weaker, he finally retired at 54 years old and focused on teaching violin in Nice, France.
On May 27, 1840, the famous violinist died without receiving the last rites - the Catholics’ final prayers. Paganini would have apparently turned the priest away, believing he wasn’t going to die. However, because of it, the Church refused to bury him in consecrated ground, despite his affiliation with the Order of the Golden Spur, and over the next few years, his body would be carried throughout Europe.
It was only four years after his death that Pope Gregory XVI asked that the composer’s body was brought back to Genoa. Paganini, who became the most famous violin virtuoso, now rests in La Villetta Cemetery in Parma, Italy, not very far from his birthplace. Today, the Niccolò Paganini Conservatory remains a major musical institution in Genoa.
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External Links :
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https://researchonline.rcm.ac.uk/id/eprint/748/1/current.musicology.83.kawabata.85-108.pdf
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​https://www.britannica.com/biography/Niccolo-Paganini
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https://www.vialma.com/en/articles/266/Niccolo-Paganini-The-Devils-Violinist
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Quiz 2.0
​
1 - Despite this unruly life, Paganini kept on composing and playing.
​a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
2 - His most famous work, the 24 Caprices were most likely written between 1818 and 1822.
​a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
3 - Paganini was known to be a bisexual.
​a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
4 - His Caprices for a quartet of violins displayed and popularized his modern string techniques such as bow bounces, left-hand pizzicato and harmonics.
​a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
5 - He also mastered trick effects such as cutting one or two violin strings and only playing with the remaining strings.
​a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
6 - Paganini did not get along with Napoleon's sister very well.
​a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
6 - Paganini became a violinist for the Baciocchi court before being appointed director of music at Piombino by Napoleon’s sister, Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi.
​a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
7 - Paganini did not get along with Napoleon's sister very well.
​a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
8 - After doing concerts all around Italy, Paganini’s fame started to spread and by 1838, he had reached great success during his tour all over Europe.
​a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
9 - In 1827, he was even awarded the Order of the Golden Spur by Pope Leo XII.​
​a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
10 - His revolutionary violin techniques received a lot of attention as well as his own works like his violin concertos, his sonatas for violin and guitar, his quartets, and his sets of variations.
​a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
11 - Among all of this, he is also known for his many modified versions of concertos by his contemporaries, such as Rodolphe Kreutzer and Giovanni Battista Viotti.
​a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
12 - Once his fame and wealth were well-established, Paganini settled in Nice and commissioned Hector Berlioz to write his symphony Harold in Italy
​a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
13 - Paganini owed one of the biggest homes in Paris at the height of his fame and celebrity.
​a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
14 - However, not satisfied with the four-movement orchestral and viola compositions, he never performed it but wrote his own Sonata per la Gran Viola Op. 35.
​a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
15 - Paganini although associated with the devil was in all actuality an atheist.
​a. True
b. False
c. Does not say
​
​​​​
Answer Key 1.0
1 - A ---> True
​
2 - B ---> False ---> Considered as one of the greatest violinists of all time, Paganini was an Italian composer and the most celebrated violin virtuoso of the 19th century.
​
3 - B ---> False ---> His repertoire and modern violin techniques, found in his 24 Caprices, left a mark in music history.
4 - A ---> True
​
5 - B ---> False ---> He was particularly known for performing recitals without sheet music, memorizing everything instead, and could play up to 12 notes per second.
6 - A ---> True
7 - B ---> False ---> Born on October 27, 1782, in Genoa, Italy, Paganini was always destined to a gifted musical life.
8 - A ---> True
9 - B ---> False ---> His musical talents were recognized and praised, earning him scholarships and violin lessons with famous violinists such as Giovanni Servetto and Giacomo Costa.
​
10 - A ---> True
​
11 - B ---> False ---> Aged 15, Paganini embarked on a tour of Italy, making a reputation for himself.
​
12 - A ---> True
​
13 - A ---> True
​
14 - C ---> Does not say
​
15 - A ---> True
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Answer Key 2.0
​
1 - A ---> True ​
​
2 - B ---> False ---> His most famous work, the 24 Caprices were most likely written between 1801 and 1807.
​
3 - C ---> Does not say
​
4 - B ---> False ---> His Caprices for solo violin displayed and popularized his modern string techniques such as bow bounces, left-hand pizzicato and harmonics.​
​
5 - A ---> True
6 - A ---> True
​​
7 - C ---> Does not say
​
8 - B ---> False ---> After doing concerts all around Italy, Paganini’s fame started to spread and by 1828, he had reached great success during his tour all over Europe.
​
9 - A ---> True
​
10 - A ---> True
​​
11 - A ---> true
​
12 - B ---> False ---> Once his fame and wealth were well-established, Paganini settled in Paris and commissioned Hector Berlioz to write his symphony Harold in Italy
​
13 - C ---> Does not say
​
14 - A ---> True
​
15 - C ---> Does not say
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Other A1 - C1 English Activities
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