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Musical and poetic symbolism of fire. Art lesson in the 8th grade according to the program of Sergeyeva and Kritskaya. The presentation is based on the materials of the textbook by the authors Milevskaya N. G.

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Signs are generally accepted conventions for objects, phenomena, and actions. Examples of signs can be road signs or symbols on geographical maps, sound signals - SOS or an ambulance siren, a variety of gestures, etc. A symbol is an object, action, etc., revealing some image, concept, idea. The symbol embodies common experiences and ideas for people. A symbol is a synthesis of a sign and an image.

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What do you think is the symbol of fire? The central symbols-images of any culture are the sun, the tree, the road.

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The symbolism of fire received a deep dimension, since fire is a metaphor for describing God himself (Yahweh is a giving birth fire). Fire is: a symbol of the triumph of light and life over death and darkness; a symbol of purification and domestic wealth; a symbol of renewal and birth in a new incarnation (remember the same phoenix that, when dying, burns out and is born again from the ashes young and beautiful); a symbol of vital energy, fertility, the personification of the sun and sunlight.

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K. Vasiliev "Man with an Owl" What meaning did the artist put into a burning candle and a burning scroll in the painting "A Man with an Owl"? As a hint: what is the root of the word "enlightenment"? Why do they say “Learning is light, and ignorance is darkness”? (light = knowledge). About the wisdom of the elders who govern the people with the help of laws (the whip as a symbol of power, the owl as a symbol of wisdom), based on the deep knowledge of previous generations.

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Light, candles... And what is this symbol? In the Christian tradition, a candle is a divine light shining in the world, evidence of a person's involvement in the Divine. The purity of wax meant the purity of a person, softness - his ability to listen to the will of God. A candle is an eternal companion of a person on the road of life. The path, lined with burning candles, was a symbol of the path on which a person is not alone: ​​those walking in front left lit lights for those who follow

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ICON "THE DORMITION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD" During a prayer on the Mount of Olives, the Mother of God, the Archangel Gabriel appeared and announced the joyful news that the Lord would soon take Her to Himself. At parting with the apostles, the Mother of God promised not to leave them and all Christians after Her death. At the hour of Dormition, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, surrounded by angels, appeared and received Her soul. On the icon "Assumption of the Virgin" a burning candle. What is she talking about? The candle goes out - earthly life will end

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Alexander Nikolaevich Skryabin (1871/72-1915) An outstanding Russian composer, pianist, teacher creates an original symphonic work "Prometheus" ("The Poem of Fire"). It involves the use of colored light during the performance of music. It was new and different. The poem is based on the ancient Greek myth of Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods and gave it to people.

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In 1907, for Scriabin, the problem of lighting effects already existed. In the Poem of Ecstasy, to the right of the music lines, on which there were sketches of her future themes and harmonies, Scriabin wrote: b/w/red/green/black... But what exactly these notes mean due to incomplete information is unknown. In Greek, the word "Prometheus" means "seer", "looking ahead."

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During his lifetime, Scriabin failed to realize a lighting project in which the composer dreamed of embodying moving lines and shapes, huge pillars of fire, and “fluid architecture”. However, the idea of ​​visible music turned out to be extremely consonant with the artists of the Russian avant-garde, gave impetus to experiments with moving abstract painting and the most interesting inventions. Prometheus was first performed with a light part on May 20, 1915 at New York's Carnegie Hall by the Orchestra of the Russian Symphony Society conducted by Modest Altshuler. For this premiere, Altshuler ordered a new lighting instrument from the engineer Preston Millar, to which the inventor gave the name "chromola"; the performance of the lighting part caused numerous problems and was coldly received by critics. In the 60-70s. there was renewed interest in the performance of Scriabin's work with a lighting part. In 1962, according to the director Bulat Galeev, the full version of "Prometheus" was performed in Kazan, and in 1965 a light and music film was shot to the music of Scriabin. In 1972, the performance of the poem by the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the USSR under the direction of E. Svetlanov was recorded at the Melodiya company.

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In February 2010, Anna Gawboy, a doctoral student at the Yale School of Music and researcher of the Russian composer Alexander Scriabin, attempted to realize the composer's graduate work: a symphony of sound and light called "Prometheus: Poem of Fire". To achieve this, Anna worked closely with Toshi Shimada, conductor of the Yale Symphony Orchestra, and Justin Townsend, award-winning lighting designer. Anna and Justin spent a year developing the idea and preparing for the performance, but most of the lighting work was done just a few days before the gig. This documentary covers the events of this week and the performance itself. In the introduction (introduction), the mysterious narration symbolizes a dark, blue-lilac-gray chaos. The main theme of the exposition is indicated by the composer in the light line as bright blue. Psychologically intense development was associated with Scriabin with the color red. In the reprise - the culmination of the poem with its organ and bell sonorities. Here Scriabin envisioned the "illumination" of the entire hall with dazzling rays of white light. The unexpectedly sharp end of the poem gives the impression of a suddenly extinguished flame of a grandiose, cosmic fire.

The symbolism of fire received a deep dimension,
because fire is a metaphor for describing
God Himself (Yahweh is the birthing fire).
Fire is:
a symbol of the triumph of light and life
over death and darkness;
a symbol of purification and home
wealth;
symbol of renewal and birth
in a new incarnation (remember that
like a phoenix that, dying, burns and
born again from the ashes young
and beautiful)
symbol
vital
energy,
fertility, personification of the sun
and sunlight.

This gloomy-looking man, a player and rowdy, completely transformed, picking up a violin. Even those who thought that his fame as the best violinist in the world was inflated had to put up with it when they happened to hear him play. For people who did not understand music, he arranged real performances with onomatopoeia - "buzzed", "mumbled" and "talked" with strings ...

The future genius was born in the family of a small merchant in Genoa. His father unsuccessfully tried to teach music to his eldest son, Carlo. But when Niccolò grew up, his father gave up classes with Carlo, which he was undoubtedly happy about. How to grow a genius and a virtuoso? You can captivate and entertain a gifted child, as Mozart's father did. And you can lock him in the pantry until he learns a particularly difficult study.

It was in this atmosphere that Niccolo was raised. The boy had practically no childhood, all his days were spent in endless exhausting music lessons. From birth, he had an amazingly sensitive ear, he immersed himself in the world of sounds and tried to repeat it with the help of a guitar, mandolin and violin.

Frame from the film "Niccolò Paganini" (1982).

Niccolò Paganini's first concert took place at the age of twelve. The concert of the child prodigy, who performed his variations of famous works, shocked the audience. The boy had noble patrons. Giancarlo de Negro, a merchant and music lover, even provided him with the opportunity to continue his studies with the cellist Ghiretti. The teacher forced a talented student to compose melodies without an instrument, to hear music in his head.

After completing his studies, Niccolo became more and more famous. He began to earn good money by giving concerts all over Italy. The musician promised to reveal the secret of his skill when he finished his career, and this only fueled the interest of the public.

Everything about him seemed mysterious. His appearance is deathly pale skin, sunken eyes, a prominent hooked nose and incredibly long fingers, twitchy movements of a skinny figure. His violin playing is God or the devil, but it was definitely inhumanly good.

His lifestyle and gambling addiction, which often kept him broke. And his detached, sublime state, when he stood on the stage, merging with the instrument together.

Traveling and performing, the maestro composed music. At that time (1801-1804) he lived in Tuscany and, walking along the sun-drenched streets, composed his famous violin caprices. For some time (1805-1808) Niccolo even became a court musician, but then returned to concerts again.

A peculiar, easy and unconstrained manner of performance and virtuoso possession of the instrument soon made him the most popular violinist in Italy. For six years (1828-1834) he gave hundreds of concerts in European capitals. Paganini aroused admiration and delight among fellow musicians. Admiring lines were dedicated to him by Heine, Balzac and Goethe.

His creative path ended swiftly and tragically. Due to tuberculosis, Paganini had to return to Italy, and coughing fits prevented him from talking. He returned to his native Genoa a deeply ill man. Terribly suffering from severe attacks, Niccolò lived for another three years.

The musician died in Nice on May 27, 1840. The papal curia did not allow him to be buried in Italy for a long time because of his lifestyle. For two months the embalmed body lay in the room, for another year - in the basement of his house. He was reburied several times, and after 36 years Niccolò Paganini found peace in Parma.

After the death of Paganini, humanity inherited 24 caprices, many variations on opera and ballet themes, six concertos for violin and orchestra, sonatas, sonatas for violin and guitar, variations and vocal compositions.

By the way, shortly before his death, Paganini revealed his secret of excellent violin playing. It consists in complete spiritual merging with the instrument. You have to look and feel the world through the instrument, store memories in the fretboard, become the strings and the bow yourself. It seems that everything is simple, but not every professional musician agrees to sacrifice his life and personality to music.

Below are amazing facts from the biography of the great maestro:

1. The composer was born in a large family (he was the third child out of six); his father first worked as a loader, and later opened a shop in the port. However, during the census of the population of Genoa, they indicated that Antonio Paganini was the "mandolin holder" - Napoleon himself ordered so.

2. From the age of 5, the father began to teach the boy to play the mandolin, and from 6 - the violin. If you believe the researchers of Paganini's life (Tibaldi-Chiesa in the series "The Life of Remarkable People"), the musician later recalled: when he did not show due diligence, his father punished him - later this was reflected in the poor health of the violinist.

3. The first public concert (or, as they said then, the academy) was given by the musician on July 31, 1795 at the Sant'Agostino Theater in Genoa - the proceeds went to ensure that the boy (and Niccolo turned only 12 that year) went to Parma – study with Alessandro Rolla (famous violinist and teacher).

When the Paganini family (father and son) came to Alessandro Roll, he refused to accept them, because he was sick. But next to the teacher's room lay a violin and notes of a work written only yesterday.

Then Niccolo took the instrument and immediately played the work - the surprised teacher, having heard Paganini's performance, went out to the guests and said that he could no longer teach the boy anything - he himself knows everything.

4. At concerts, Paganini put on a real show. This made such a strong impression on the audience that some fainted in the hall. He thought out every number and exit to the smallest detail.

Everything was rehearsed: from a repertoire consisting entirely of his own compositions, to spectacular tricks, such as a broken string, an out-of-tune violin and "hello from the village" - imitating animal sounds.

Paganini learned to imitate the guitar, flute, trumpets and horns and could replace the orchestra. The audience in love nicknamed him "Southern Sorcerer".

"All the best and loftiest things in the world are connected with Christianity. The best musicians of our century write church hymns. There is not a single classical composer who does not write oratorios and masses.

Mozart's Requiem, Bach's oratorios, Handel's masses testify that the Lord does not leave Europe and that our entire culture is built on the principles of Christian love and mercy.

But then a violinist appeared, who turns off this road. With all his behavior, insatiable greed, the intoxicating poison of earthly temptations, Paganini sows anxiety on our planet and gives people to the power of hell. Paganini kills the Christ child".

6. Niccolo Paganini was a Freemason. He wrote a Masonic hymn and performed it in the lodge of the Grand Orient of Italy; Society documents also confirm his belonging to the Freemasons.

7. The first (and perhaps the strongest) love of the composer was a noble lady, whose name he always hid and with whom he lived for 3 years on her estate in Tuscany. In those years, he discovered the guitar and wrote 12 sonatas for it and the violin, and also became addicted to cards.

Eliza Bonaparte. Portrait by Marie-Guillaume Benoit, 1805

Niccolo Paganini said that he had a relationship with Elisa Bonaparte, Napoleon's older sister. The musician was the captain of her personal guard and had the title of "court virtuoso": he gave concerts and directed performances.

8. Paganini was a favorite not only of the masses, but also of titled persons. Every European monarch considered it his duty to invite him for a personal speech.

Of course, he received incredible fees, but due to intemperance in gambling, he often found himself in situations where he did not have enough money for food. He had to repeatedly pawn his violin and ask for help from friends. With the birth of his son, he became calmer and was able to accumulate a fortune in old age.

The musician actively toured Europe and everywhere his concerts were incredibly popular. After his death in 1840, he left a fortune of several million francs.

9. The maestro preferred not to write down his works on paper in order to remain the only performer (and those who could perform Paganini's melodies even with notes were negligible). Imagine the surprise of the master, who heard his own variations performed by the violinist and composer Heinrich Ernst! Is it possible that the variations were picked up by him by ear?

When Ernst came to visit Paganini, he hid the manuscript under his pillow. He told the surprised musician that after his performance, one should beware not only of his ears, but also of his eyes.

10. Paganini could perform works even if one or more strings were missing from the violin (for example, when a string broke at his concert, he continued to play without interruption). And for the birthday of the emperor, the maestro wrote the sonata "Napoleon" for one string (sol).

11. For some, Paganini was an undoubted genius, for others - a convenient victim for attacks. Mysterious "well-wishers" sent letters to his parents describing the revelry and debauchery in which their son was allegedly mired. Rumors swirled around him, one more surprising than the other.

For example, only the lazy did not know that Niccolo Paganini honed his skills not by exhausting studies in childhood and adolescence, but by entertaining himself with music while in prison. This legend turned out to be so tenacious that it even found its reflection in Stendhal's novel.

12. Newspapers often printed reports of Paganini's death. It all started with an accidental mistake, but journalists got a taste of it - after all, newspapers with a refutation were distributed in double and triple circulation, and the violinist's popularity only grew because of this.

When Paganini died in Nice, the newspapers routinely printed his obituary with the note: "We hope that soon, as usual, we will publish a refutation."

Ingres, Jean Auguste Dominique. "Violinist Niccolo Paganini".

13. In 1893, the coffin with the maestro was again dug up, because people allegedly heard strange sounds coming from under the ground. In the presence of Paganini's grandson, the Czech violinist Frantisek Ondřicek, the rotten coffin was opened. There is a legend that the musician's body had decayed by that time, but his face and head were practically unharmed.

Of course, after that, for more than a decade, the most incredible rumors and gossip circulated in Italy. In 1896, the coffin with the remains of Paganini was dug out again and reburied in another cemetery in Parma.

14. The virtuoso bequeathed his favorite violin by Guarneri to his native city, Genoa (the maestro did not want anyone to play it after his death). Later, the instrument received the name "Widow Paganini". Also in the collection of virtuoso violins were works by Stradivari and Amati.

Booker Igor 07/09/2019 at 23:40

The most legendary violinist in the history of European music is Niccolò Paganini. There are no musical recordings of this composer and performer, but the more acutely the listener realizes that there will never be another such Paganini. Throughout the short life of the maestro, he was accompanied by love scandals. Was there a love for a woman in Paganini's life that would surpass his love for music?

Niccolò Paganini was born on October 27, 1782 in Genoa. However, Niccolo himself preferred to subtract two years for himself, claiming that he was born in 1784. And he signed in different ways: Niccolò, or Nicolò, and sometimes Nicola. Paganini performed his first concert as a thirteen-year-old teenager. Gradually, the handsome boy who conquered the Genoese public on July 31, 1795, turned into an awkward youth with nervous gestures. It turned out the "ugly duckling" on the contrary. Over the years, his face had taken on a deathly pallor, sunken cheeks criss-crossed with premature deep wrinkles. Feverishly glittering eyes were deeply sunken, and thin skin painfully responded to any change in the weather: Niccolo sweated in summer, and perspired in winter. His bony figure with long arms and legs dangled in his clothes like a wooden puppet.

“Constant exercise on the instrument could not but cause some curvature of the torso: the chest, rather narrow and round, according to Dr. Bennati, fell in the upper part, and the left side, because the musician kept the violin here all the time, became wider than the right; percussion heard better on the right side− the result of a pleural pneumonia suffered in Parma,− writes biographer Paganini Italian Maria Tibaldi-Chiesa(Maria Tibaldi-Chiesa). − The left shoulder rose much higher than the right, and when the violinist lowered his arms, one turned out to be much longer than the other.

With such an appearance, the most incredible rumors circulated about the ardent Italian during his lifetime. They invented a story that the musician was imprisoned for the murder of his wife or mistress. It was rumored that only one string, the fourth, allegedly remained on his violin, and he learned to play it alone. And as a string, he uses the veins of a murdered woman! Since Paganini limped on his left leg, it was rumored that he had been sitting on a chain for a long time. In fact, the still inexperienced young musician was a typical Genoese who recklessly gave himself up to his passion: whether it was playing cards or flirting with pretty girls. Fortunately, he managed to recover from the card game in time. What can not be said about the love affairs of Paganini.

Very little is known about Paganini's first passion. Niccolo did not even tell his friend her name and the place of their meetings. In the prime of his youth, Paganini retired to the Tuscan estate of a certain noble lady who played the guitar and conveyed her love for this instrument to Niccolò. In three years, Paganini wrote 12 sonatas for guitar and violin, which make up his second and third opuses. As if waking up from the spell of his Circe, Niccolo at the end of 1804 fled to Genoa to pick up the violin again. Love for the mysterious Tuscan girlfriend, and through her, for the guitar helped the musician. A different arrangement of strings than on the violin made Paganini's fingers surprisingly flexible. Having become a virtuoso, the musician ceased to be interested in the guitar and only occasionally wrote music for it. But such affection as for this noble lady, who was probably older than him, Paganini never experienced for any woman. Ahead of him was an adventurous life as a wandering musician and loneliness...

Women also appeared in it. Many years later, Paganini would tell his son Achille that he had an affair with Napoleon's older sister, Elisa Bonaparte, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, who at that time was Empress of Lucca and Piombino. Eliza awarded the violinist the title of "court virtuoso" and appointed the captain of the personal guard. Putting on a magnificent uniform, Paganini received, in accordance with palace etiquette, the right to appear at ceremonial receptions. Communication with an ugly, but intelligent woman, moreover, the sister of the French emperor himself, amuses Nikkola's vanity. The violinist aroused the jealousy of Eliza, who was five years older than Paganini, by chasing skirts.

Once Paganini made a bet. He undertook to conduct an entire opera with the help of a violin, on which there will be only two strings - the third and fourth. He won the bet, the audience went on a rampage, and Eliza invited the musician who "did the impossible on two strings" to play on one string. On August 15, the birthday of the Emperor of France, he performed a sonata for the fourth string called Napoleon. Again, a resounding success. But success with "his" ladies had already bored Paganini.

Once, passing by a house, he noticed a pretty face in the window. A certain barber volunteered to help the maestro arrange a love date. After the concert, the impatient lover on the wings of love rushed to the appointed place. At the open window, looking at the moon, stood a girl. Seeing Paganini, she began to scream. Then the musician jumped onto a low windowsill and jumped down. Later, Niccolo found out that that girl had lost her mind because of unrequited love, and at night she looked at the moon all the time, hoping that her unfaithful lover would fly from there. The matchmaker hoped to deceive the mentally ill, but she did not take the genius of music for her boyfriend.

After three years at Elisa's court, Paganini asked her permission to go on vacation. His wanderings began in the cities of Italy.

In 1808, in Turin, Niccolo met the emperor's beloved sister, the charming 28-year-old Pauline Bonaparte. Like her sister, she was also older than him, but only by two years. Polina received the affectionate nickname Red Rose from the people of Turin, in contrast to the White Rose - Eliza. Another luxurious flower appeared in Paganini's bouquet. From early youth, the beauty was rather windy and Napoleon hurried to marry her off. After the death of her husband, General Leclerc, Polina married Prince Camillo Borghese, an attractive man who did not meet the requirements of a temperamental Corsican and, moreover, stupid. The husband irritated Polina so much that he caused bouts of neurasthenia. Lovers of sensual pleasures, Polina and Niccolo, had a pleasant time in Turin and in the castle of Stupinigi. Their passionate natures quickly ignited and cooled just as quickly. When the musician had a severe indigestion, Polina found a replacement for him.

Rumors about the "long years of prison" in which Paganini allegedly sat are pure fiction, but based on real events. In September 1814, the violinist gave concerts in Genoa, where 20-year-old Angelina Cavanna threw herself into his arms. It was not love, but a lustful relationship, and it is worth saying a few words about it in order to debunk one of the myths associated with the name of Niccolò Paganini. Despite the name Angelina, which means "angel" in Italian, Mrs. Cavannah turned out to be a whore, who was kicked out of the house by her own father for debauchery. Having become the violinist's mistress, Angelina soon became pregnant. Maestro Tibaldi-Chiesa's biographer points out that this does not yet prove Paganini's paternity, since the girl "continued to meet with other men." Niccolo took her with him to Parma, and in the spring Angelina's father returned with her to Genoa, and on May 6, 1815, Paganini was arrested on charges of kidnapping and violence against his daughter. In conclusion, the musician stayed until May 15. Five days later, Paganini in turn sued the tailor Cavannes to force him to pay compensation. The baby died in June 1815. The process ended on November 14, 1816, with a decision not in favor of the violinist, who was ordered to pay three thousand lire to Angelina Cavanna. A few months before the court order, Angelina married a man named ... Paganini. It's true, he was not a musician and a relative of a violinist. The namesake was named Giovanni Batista.

The personality of Niccolo Paganini has always attracted the attention of the public, some saw him as a real genius, while others saw him as a swindler, refusing to believe in such an extraordinary talent. Even today, no one can deny the fact that he was a real Maestro, and although the virtuoso violinist has gone into eternity, his works, as well as memories of his phenomenal talent, remain. The whole life of the great musician is shrouded in secrets and omissions that accompanied him everywhere.

Read a brief biography and many interesting facts about the composer on our page.

Brief biography of Paganini

The future musician was born in Genoa on October 27, 1782. His father was a small merchant, but at the same time, Antonio Paganini was very fond of music and dreamed that his son would become a great musician. Niccolo devoted almost all his childhood to playing the instrument. By nature, he got an unusually sharp ear, and every day his father realized that Niccolo was waiting for the glory of a real virtuoso, so it was decided to hire a professional teacher for him.

So his first mentor, not counting his father, was Francesca Gnecco, who was a composer and violinist. These classes helped to further reveal the talent of the little musician, and already at the age of eight he created his first sonata.

The rumor about the little genius gradually spread throughout the small town, and violinist Giacomo Costa paid close attention to Niccolo, who now began to study with the boy every week. These lessons were of great benefit to the novice musician and, thanks to this, he was able to start a concert activity. So, the first concert of the future virtuoso took place at the age of 12, in 1794.

After that, many influential people drew attention to Niccolo. For example, Giancarlo di Negro, a famous aristocrat, became a patron and true friend of a talented musician, helping him with further education. Thanks to his support, Gasparo Ghiretti became Paganini's new teacher, who taught him composition. In particular, he taught the musician to use his inner ear while composing melodies. Under the guidance of a teacher, in a few months Paganini was able to compose 24 fugues, plays and even concertos for violins .

Inspired by the success of his talented son, Antonio Paganini hastened to take on the duties of an impresario and began to prepare a tour of the country. The performance of such a gifted child made a splash. It was during this period that the famous capriccios came out from under his pen, which made a real revolution in the world of violin music.

Soon Niccolo decides to start a life and career independent of his parents, all the more he receives a tempting offer - a place of the first violin in Lucca. He becomes not only the manager of the city orchestra, but also continues to perform successfully throughout the country. The musician's concerts are still brilliant and cause great delight among the public.

It is known that Paganini was very amorous and it was during this period of time that the virtuoso violinist met his first love. He even stopped touring for three years and is seriously interested in composition. Niccolò dedicates his works, composed during this period of time, to Signora Dida. It is no secret that Paganini is credited with many novels, even with the most august persons. We are talking about Napoleon's sister Elisa, who was married to Felice Baciocchi (ruler in Lucca). The composer even dedicated the “Love Scene” to her, which he wrote for only two strings. The public liked this work very much, and the princess herself suggested that the maestro compose a piece already for one string. In the biography of Pagania there is such a fact that after some time the maestro presented the Napoleon sonata for the G string. It is also known that a few years later the violinist himself decided to stop communicating with Eliza.

After a while, returning to his hometown, Niccolò was already carried away by the tailor's daughter, Angelina Kavanna, whom he even took with him to Parma. However, it soon became clear that the girl was in a position, and therefore she was forced to go back to Genoa. Information has been preserved that Angelina's father filed a tribunal against the musician and a court that lasted two years, which decided to pay the victim a significant amount of money.

In 1821, Paganini's health deteriorated greatly, because he devoted a lot of time to music and did not take care of himself at all. The musician tried to relieve coughing and pain attacks with various ointments, trips to seaside resorts, but nothing helped. Because of this, Nikolo was forced to stop his concert activity for a while.

In the spring of 1824, the violinist unexpectedly visits Milan, where he immediately begins to organize his concert. After that, he already successfully performs in Pavia and his native Genoa. It was at this time that he again meets his former love Antonia Bianca, a famous singer. After some time, their son Achilles is born.

During this period of time, Paganini devotes a lot of time to composition, constantly composing new masterpieces: "Military Sonata", Violin Concerto No. 2 - these works become the real culmination of his creative path. In 1830, after a successful performance in Westphalia, he was awarded the title of baron.

In 1839, Niccolo went to Nice, where he rented a small house for himself and literally did not go anywhere for several months due to poor health. His condition was so weakened that he could no longer pick up his favorite instrument. The famous violinist and composer died in 1840.

Interesting Facts

• It is still unknown if the famous musician ever attended school at all. The researchers note that there are a lot of gross errors in his manuscripts, even in those written in adulthood.
• It is no secret that Paganini was born in the family of a small merchant, although initially his father even worked as a loader. However, as it became known later, during the census, Napoleon ordered to indicate in the documents that Paganini's father was a "holder of mandolins."
• The story has been preserved that the mother of the future virtuoso once saw an angel in a dream, who told her that their son Niccolo was waiting for a career as a great musician. Father Paganini, hearing this, was very inspired and delighted, because he dreamed about this.
• Already from the age of 5, little Niccolo began to study on mandolin , and a year later violin . His father often locked him in the attic so that he would spend more time with the instrument, which subsequently affected the health of the musician.
• For the first time on the stage, Paganini performed on July 31, 1795 at the theater of Sant'Agostino, his native city. With the proceeds from the concert, the 12-year-old Niccolò was able to travel to Parma to continue his studies with Alessandro Rolla.
• When Antonio Paganini and his son came to Alessandro Rolla, he could not receive them due to poor health. Next to the musician's room lay his instrument and notes of a work composed by him. Little Niccolo took this violin and played what was written on music paper. Hearing his game, Alessandro Rolla went out to the guests and said that he could not teach this performer anything more, since he already knows everything.
• Paganini's concerts always made a splash, and especially impressionable ladies even lost consciousness. He thought through everything down to the smallest detail, even a “suddenly broken string” or a detuned instrument, everything was part of his brilliant program.
• Because of Paganini's ability to imitate birdsong on the violin, human conversation, playing the guitar and other instruments, he was called the "Southern Sorcerer".

• The musician categorically refused to compose psalms for Catholics, thereby incurring the wrath of the clergy with whom he later clashed for a long time.
• It is known that Paganini was a Freemason and even composed a Masonic hymn.
• Among all the rumors that circulated around the person of the violinist, the legend that he specifically turned to the surgeon for a secret operation, which allowed him to significantly increase the flexibility of his hands, stands out.
• Niccolo was very distracted, he could hardly remember even the date of his birth. Often in the documents he indicated the wrong year, and each time it was a different date.

• In the biography of Paganini there is a story about how the maestro once refused the English king himself. Having received an invitation from him to perform at court for a rather modest fee, Paganini invited the king to his concert in the theater so that he could save even more on this.
• Paganini had a very strong passion for gambling, because of this, the famous musician very often remained without funds. He even had to pawn his instrument several times and ask for money from his comrades. Only after the birth of the heir, he tied up with the cards.
• He was a highly sought-after performer, and Niccolo's performances received huge fees by those standards. After his death, he left a legacy of several million francs.
• Surprisingly, the musician did not really like to write down his compositions on paper, as he wanted to be the only performer of them. However, one violinist was able to surprise him very much, we are talking about the composer Heinrich Ernst, who performed Paganini's variations at his concert.

• Even during his lifetime, there were many rumors around the maestro, even his parents were sent letters by “well-wishers” in which they tried to tarnish the name of the musician. What is the legend that he honed his skillful game in prison. Even Stendhal's novel mentions this strange fiction.
• The press quite often in the last years of the musician's life reported erroneously about his death, later they had to write a refutation, and Paganini's popularity only increased in connection with this. When the composer died in Nice, the press again published the obituary and even made a small note that they hoped that a refutation would soon be printed again.
• There were several violins in the maestro's collection, among them works by Stradivari, Amati, but he bequeathed his most beloved - Guarneri, to the town in which he was born. One of his instruments is now kept in Russia. We are talking about a violin by Carlo Bergonzi, which was purchased by Maxim Viktorov in 2005 for $1.1 million.

History of the Paganini violin

The composer himself gave a very unusual name to his favorite instrument - "Cannon". This was due to the events that took place in his country in the first half of the 19th century. The violin was made by Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri in 1743. Researchers point out that a Parisian merchant gave the 17-year-old musician an instrument. The violin immediately attracted Niccolò's attention with the power of sound and became his favorite. He was very kind to her and once even turned to a violin maker, because the instrument had lost its voice. Arriving a few days later, the Maestro was relieved to hear the familiar sound of the violin and, as a reward, he gave the master Vilhom a valuable box studded with gems. He explained his generous gift by the fact that at one time he had two such caskets. He presented one of them to his doctor for curing his body. Now he gave the second to the master, as he healed his “Cannon”.

In his will, Paganini indicated that his entire collection of tools should be transferred to Genoa, where he was born, and henceforth not leave the city. This also applied to "Cannon", which later received the name "Paganini's Widow". This was due to the fact that no one else could extract from it a similar sound, which was obtained from the Maestro.

Paganini's violin is currently under close observation in the Palazzo Doria Tursi Museum, and there are also some other personal belongings of the musician. Despite the fact that the instrument is kept permanently in the museum, sometimes it can still be heard in the concert hall. True, only the winner of the Paganini Music Competition is allowed to play on it..

The secret of Paganini's extraordinary talent

Legends have always circulated around Paganini's extraordinary talent, and what stories contemporaries did not invent to try to explain his brilliant violin playing. Collusion with otherworldly forces, a special operation, fraud - all these rumors are just a small part of the many others that surrounded the musician. The American physician Myron Schoenfeld also tried to explain the secret of the maestro's violin technique. In his opinion, the whole point is a hereditary disease from which Paganini suffered.

Many interesting films have been shot based on the biography of Paganini, I would especially like to highlight the work of Leonid Menaker "Niccolò Paganini" (1982). It was filmed based on the work of A. K. Vinogradov "The Condemnation of Paganini" and was specially timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Maestro. This is a four-episode film that tells about the life of the legendary violinist, his feelings, experiences, creativity, helping to understand his mystical and multifaceted nature. The violin part was performed by Leonid Kogan. It is known that the director originally wanted to invite the famous conductor Yuri Temirkanov to the main role, but he did not agree.

Another notable work is the film Paganini (1989) by Klaus Kinski. It is noteworthy that this is his only experience as a director. He also played a major role, playing a great musician. Klaus Kinski showed the amazing Paganini, whose life was teetering on the edge of the abyss. No one has ever seen such a violinist.

Drama by Bernard Rose "Paganini: The Devil's Violinist", conquered the world in 2013. The main role was played by the famous performer David Garrett. The director took as a basis the rumors that once circulated about the Italian violinist. After all, many of his contemporaries were sure that he sold his soul to the devil and received an extraordinary gift. On his way, Paganini meets a beautiful girl, but will he be able to know happiness? This film reveals some of the mysteries of the Maestro's life.

Paganini's unusually virtuosic and beautiful playing on violin spawned many legends and mystical stories of contemporaries. And it could not be otherwise, because the maestro played in such a way that the ladies present in the hall fainted, and especially meticulous listeners peered into the backstage, trying to see the second musician helping him there. But of course, they saw nothing, because there was no one there, and they had no choice but to write off this ingenious game for the machinations of the ruler of the Underworld. Paganini left behind 24 caprices, 6 violin concertos, a large number of variations, sonatas and other works for violin and guitar. In addition, he left many legends about himself, about life and his extraordinary talent, which to this day excite the imagination of admirers of his work.

Video: watch a film about Niccolo Paganini