The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-04-04


his difficult charge over to Ghiretti, anC
this master gave him three lessons g.
week in harmony and counterpoint. I
is not clear that this extraordinary ge
nius owed much more to any one but
! himself--his indomitable perseverance
and his incessant study. His method
is tobe noted. For 10 or u hours be
would try passages over and over agair
in different ways with such absorption
and intensity, that at nightfau he would
sink in utter prostration through exces.
sive exhaustion and fatigue. Though
delicate like MendeIssohn, he ate at times
raEenously, and slept soundly.s When
about 10 he wrote "a fugues, and soon
afterward composed some violin music,
Of such difficulty, that he was unable at
first to play it, until -incessant practice
gave him the mastery. % E=. -d. ?
In1797, Paganini, being then 13 years
old, made his first professional tour,
but not as afree agent. His father took
him through the chief towns of Lom-
hardy, and not unnaturally prescribed
the task and pocketed the proceeds.
But the young neck was already begin
ming to chafe against the yoke. In 1898
he escaped, with his fathers tardy con
sent, to Lucca, where a musical festival
in honor of ST. Martin was going on.
Here he gave frequent concerts, and
was everywhere met with applause, and,
what was more to the purpose, with
money. Surrounded by men of inferior
talents, mere inexperienced youth,
without education, without knowledge
of the world, with nothing but ambi-
ton and his supreme musical genius,
he now broke wildly away from all wise
restraints, and avenged himself upon
his fathers severity by many youthful
excesses. He gambled-he- lost-he
was duped by his companions; ;. but he
made money so fast, that he soon owned
about $1,000. 1t is pleasant to, think
that he at once thought of giving some
of this to his father and mother; it is
unpleasant to record that his father
claimed, and eventually got, almost the
whole sum from him.. But it did not
much matter now, for everything seem
ed literally to turn into gold beneath
those marvellous fingers, and bad luck
proved nearly as profitable to him as
good. ~ ..f- .---r --f-.sr
By the time he had reached II Paga-
mini was confirmed gambler. He had
little left but his Stradiuarius violin,
and this he was on the point Of selling
to a certain prince, who had offered him
ESQ, large sum at the beginning of
this century. even for a Stradiuarius.
Times have changed, and in those latter
days we think nothing of giving e30O
for genuine instrument of the first
class. But the reckless youth deter
mined to make a last stand for his vie
lin. "Jewels, watch, rings, brooches, +"
to use his own words, '' I had disposed
of all-my 80 francs were reduced to 8.
With this small remains of my capital
I played, and won $50 francs! This
amount saved violin, and restored
my affairs. From that time,'' he adds,
CT abiured gaming, to which had sac
rifced part of my youth, convinced
that a gamester is an object of contempt
to all well-regulated minds. " The
violin he narrowly missed losing was
given him by Pasini the painter, who,
on one occasion, brought him a -concer-
to of extraordinary difficulty to read at
sight, and placing fine Stradiuarius in
his hands, said, 8 This instrument shall
yours if you can play that concerto
at first sight IN a mastery manner. D
EssIf that is the case, y replied Paganini,
"you may bid adigu to, it ;" and play
ing it off at once, he retained the violin.
Some years later, at Legborn, being
again in great straits, he was obliged to
part, for time at least, with this same
Stradiuarius; but this disaster was only
the means of procuring him the fayorite
Guarnerius, upon which he ever. after
ward played. In his need, Monsieur
Livron, distinguished amateur, lent
him this splendid instrument, and was
so enraptured by his playing that he
/ exclaimed, '' Never will I profane the
strings that your fingers have touched.
It is to you that my violin belongs. .
This violin is still shown at Genoa un-
4 der a glass case. VITO ear. -r r.-ar
/ At the age Of II Paganini appears to
have been entirely his. own master
weak in health, nervous, irritable and
l L.; I'll 7 81 s,-or-,,1 a.. l. II T.
and pursuits were, at this critical age
4 threatening 60 hurry him TO an early grave
when an event occurred which, although
but too characteristic of the 1ooseness
of Italian manners, probably saved hi.
life. Suddenly, in the midst of new
discoveries and unexampled successes
Paganini ceased to play the violin. n,
/ retired into the depths of the country
and devoted himself for three years t,
agricultural pursuits, and to the societ,
of a ladvof rank who had carried hin
of to her Tuscan estate, and to. the gui
tar. With the sole exception Of tn
late Regondi, no such genius has eve
been concentrated upon this limited an
effeminate instrument But the lady
taste ran that way, and the great violin
ist lavished for time the whole force {
his originality and skill upon the Iigh
guitar He wrote music for it, and I'M
tated it on the violin, but seldom touel
, ed it in after life until quite the close
, although he was able to produce a prt
digious effect upon it when he chos,
These years Of country LIE and leisslr'
: during which he was delivered from th
: pressure of crowds, the ezcitement (
/ public performances, and, most Of al
the grinding anxieties of life, had II