"the descendants of Paganini. This orchestral score was bought by Natale Gallini, but the solo violin part was unaccounted for. Gallini made it a personal crusade to find the missing part, and eventually it was located in a collection of music which had belonged to Giovanni Bottesini, the famous Italian double-bass virtuoso. Gallini at this point gave the complete musical score to his son, conductor Franco Gallini. With Arthur Grumiaux on the violin, the work received its ""second world premiere"" on November 7, 1954, again in Paris. The concerto follows the standard form consisting of three movements, fast – slow"
"Violin Sonata in G minor (Tartini) The Violin Sonata in G minor, Bg.5, more familiarly known as the Devil's Trill Sonata (Italian: ""Il trillo del diavolo""), is a work for solo violin (with figured bass accompaniment) by Giuseppe Tartini (1692–1770). It is the composer's best-known composition, notable for its technically difficult passages. A typical performance lasts 15 minutes. Tartini allegedly told the French astronomer Jérôme Lalande that he had dreamed that the devil had appeared to him and had asked to be Tartini's servant. At the end of the music lesson, Tartini handed the devil his violin to test his"
"claiming that he unknowingly sold his soul to the Devil. ""Variation upon variation,"" he cries at one point, ""but which variation leads to salvation and which to damnation? Music is a question for which there is no answer."" Paganini is portrayed as having killed three of his lovers and sinking repeatedly into poverty, prison, and drink. Each time he is ""rescued"" by the Devil who appears in different guises, returning Paganini's violin so he can continue playing. In the end, Paganini's salvation—administered by a god-like Clockmaker—turns out to be imprisonment in a large bottle where he plays his music for"
"The Devil's Violinist The Devil's Violinist is a 2013 film based on the life story of the 19th-century Italian violinist and composer Niccolò Paganini. The film chronicles the life of Italian violinist and composer Niccolò Paganini, who rose to fame as a virtuoso in the early 19th Century. It begins with his youth as a childhood violinist pushed by his demanding father through his beginnings in Italy and then to his performances and acclaim in London under the guidance of the mysterious Urbani. Filming took place in Germany, Austria and Italy. Violinist David Garrett performs many of Paganini's pieces throughout"
"Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (; 4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian Baroque musical composer, virtuoso violinist, teacher, and priest. Born in Venice, the capital of the Venetian Republic, he is regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread across Europe. He composed many instrumental concertos, for the violin and a variety of other instruments, as well as sacred choral works and more than forty operas. His best-known work is a series of violin concertos known as the ""Four Seasons"". Many of his compositions were written for the"
"skill, which the devil began to play with virtuosity, delivering an intense and magnificent performance. So singularly beautiful and executed with such superior taste and precision, that the composer felt his breath taken away. The complete story is told by Tartini himself in Lalande's ""Voyage d'un François en Italie"": One night, in the year 1713 I dreamed I had made a pact with the devil for my soul. Everything went as I wished: my new servant anticipated my every desire. Among other things, I gave him my violin to see if he could play. How great was my astonishment on"
"issued a CD entitled ""Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery"". It is an original story about an orphan girl in the early 1700s who goes in search of her roots. A central clue to the mystery is a missing Stradivarius violin that the Duke of Cremona has brought to Vivaldi's school of the ""Pietà"" in the hopes of finding his long-lost grandchild. Vivaldi's music is featured throughout the story. Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (; 4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian Baroque musical composer, virtuoso violinist, teacher, and priest. Born in Venice, the capital of the Venetian Republic,"
"and better. But Stradivarius is unhappy because circumstances concerning his family unfold in a woeful way. His beloved wife dies, eldest son becomes a merchant-slaver, middle son - a Jesuit monk, and two younger sons do not have either the talent nor the desire to learn the violin business. Soon Stradivarius is offered with a unique chance to pass on his knowledge and skill onto worthy hands as to him comes a young man named Giuseppe Guarneri and asks the great master to take him as a disciple. Alas, Stradivarius refuses future genius, and Guarneri is forced to literally sell"
"a central character in Daniel Silva's ""The English Assassin"". Anna Rolfe, the daughter of a Swiss banker, is a famous violinist and the sonata features prominently in the novel. The story of Tartini's inspirational dream is told. Tartini's ""The Devil's Trill"" is also featured in the Japanese anime ""Descendants of Darkness"" (""Yami no Matsuei""). The three part story is also named after the song. Giuseppe Tartini Giuseppe Tartini (8 April 1692 – 26 February 1770) was an Italian Baroque composer and violinist. Tartini was born in Pirano, a town on the peninsula of Istria, in the Republic of Venice (now"
"of keys came into use. The Devil is featured as a character in many musical representations from the Middle Ages to modern times. Hildegard of Bingen's 11th-century ""Ordo Virtutum"" features him, as do several baroque oratorios by composers such as Carissimi and Alessandro Scarlatti. During the 19th century, Gounod's ""Faust"", in which the Devil goes by the name Mephistopheles, was a staple of opera houses around the world. Highly virtuosic violin music was sometimes associated with the Devil. Tartini's ""Devil's Trill"" sonata and Paganini's ""Devil's Laughter"" caprice are examples. The theme is taken up by Stravinsky in the ""Devil's Dance"""
"Giovanni Battista Pergolesi Giovanni Battista Draghi (; 4 January 1710 – 16 or 17 March 1736), often referred to as Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (), was an Italian composer, violinist and organist. His best-known works include his Stabat Mater and the opera ""La serva padrona"" (""The Maid Turned Mistress""). His compositions include comic operas and sacred music. He died of tuberculosis at the very young age of 26. Born in Jesi in what is now the Province of Ancona (but was then part of the Papal States), he was commonly given the nickname ""Pergolesi"", a demonym indicating in Italian the residents"
"instruments are known to exist. Sanctus Seraphin Sanctus Seraphin (Udine 1699 – Venice 1776), also known as Santo Serafin, was a successful luthier (violin maker), working in Venice. He closed his ""bottega"" (workshop) in 1741 but he continued to work in the bottega of Giorgio Serafin, his nephew, till his death in 1776. Seraphin's stringed instruments use a varnish that ranges in color from golden brown to an orange red. The varnish is usually transparent, lustrous and soft, but occasionally displays a hard, dry and crackled appearance. A Seraphin violin ranges in value from $20,000 to $850,000, depending on condition"
"'Messiah'; and in a dingy attic in Milan, where Tarisio's body has been found, were no fewer than 24 Stradivaris and 120 other Italian masterpieces. Luigi Tarisio Luigi Tarisio (21 June 1796 – 1 November 1854) was an Italian violin dealer and collector. He was of humble parents and is said to have trained as a carpenter, playing violin as a hobby. He developed an interest in violins themselves, and as a connoisseur with a natural talent for business he began to acquire and resell some of the many fine instruments that were lying unused in the towns and villages"
"Devil"", or ""The Tragedy of Paolo Giordano Ursini, Duke of Brachiano"" (1612), of Stendhal's novella ""Vittoria Accoramboni"" (1837–1839), of Ludwig Tieck's novel, ""Vittoria Accoramboni"" (1840) and of Robert Merle's novel ""l'Idole"" (1987) published in English translation as ""Vittoria."" Vittoria Accoramboni Vittoria Accoramboni (15 February 155722 December 1585) was an Italian noblewoman. Her life became the basis for John Webster's play ""The White Devil"" and several novels. She was born in Gubbio in Umbria, the tenth child in a family belonging to the minor nobility of Gubbio, who migrated to Rome with a view to bettering their fortunes. After refusing several"
"the foremost makers of the new Venetian School. Before his death, Tononi modified his will to provide for his funeral. He requested that the proceeds from the sale of one of his cellos be used to pay for a mass to be said for his soul. On 21 April 1730, his executors published his will after his death. A genuine Tononi violin ranges in value from $45,000 to $450,000 depending on condition and provenance. Carlo Annibale Tononi Carlo Annibale Tononi (1675–1730) was a luthier who trained and worked with his father in the Tononi family workshop in Bologna, Italy until"
"conspiracy or accusation of corruption has been suggested. He was made blind by Frederick II in Pontremoli in the Piazzetta of San Geminiano. Unknown is the reason for his death, which occurred shortly after, by suicide or the consequences of blinding. As a suicide, he appears as one of the damned in the Woods of Suicide in Dante's ""Inferno"", Circle VII, Ring II, Canto XIII: Violent against the self: suicides and profligates. Della Vigna reveals his identity to the travelers Dante and Virgil: ""I am himself that held both keys of Frederick's heart / to lock and unlock and well"
"Modena as a victim of fraud. In this case, the violinist and composer Tomaso Antonio Vitali, bought a violin purporting to be a creation of Nicolò Amati. Yet under the Amati label was the label of Francesco Rugeri. There was a price difference in those days of 3 to 1 on Amati vs. Rugeri violins, so this was a serious matter. However, this case may also indicate that Rugeri, who was working in the shadow of the great Cremona makers—Amati, Guarneri, and Stradivari—resorted to a desperate act to make a sale. The result of the court case is not known,"
"Niccolò Paganini Niccolò (or Nicolò) Paganini (; 27 October 178227 May 1840) was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer. He was the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique. His 24 Caprices for Solo Violin Op. 1 are among the best known of his compositions, and have served as an inspiration for many prominent composers. Niccolò Paganini was born in Genoa, then capital of the Republic of Genoa, the third of the six children of Antonio and Teresa (née Bocciardo) Paganini. Paganini's father was an unsuccessful"
"Lipinski Stradivarius The Lipinski Stradivarius is an antique violin constructed in 1715 by the Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona, during Stradivari's ""golden period"" between 1700 and 1720. There are fewer than 650 extant Stradivarius violins in the world today, and the Lipinski is considered to be a particularly fine example. In 2012, it was appraised at $5 million USD. The earlier history of ""The Lipinski"" is unclear; Italian violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini is the first reputed owner. Tartini, who in 1713 experienced a dream in which he allowed the devil to play his violin, heard a beautiful sonata"
"for voracious gambling. He was given a neglected Guarneri violin, a gift from an amateur violinist and businessman. Paganini played on this instrument for the rest of his life, fondly calling it “my cannon violin,” referring to the explosive sound that he was able to make it produce. He bequeathed it to the city of Genoa, Italy upon his death, and it is now considered a national treasure. When in need of repair, ""Il Cannone"" would be sent to the workshop of Jean Baptiste Vuillaume (1798–1875) in Paris, the greatest luthier of his day. Not only did Vuillaume repair the"
"the amusement of the public through all eternity. ""Do not pity him, my dear,"" the Clockmaker tells Antonia, one of Paganini's murdered wives. ""He is alone with the answer for which there is no question. The saved and the damned are the same."" Images Niccolò Paganini Niccolò (or Nicolò) Paganini (; 27 October 178227 May 1840) was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer. He was the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique. His 24 Caprices for Solo Violin Op. 1 are among the best known"
"neck. In the interests of conservation, the ""Messiah Stradivarius"" violin—on display in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England—has not been played at all in recent years. Notes Sources Articles Historical books Antonio Stradivari Antonio Stradivari ; (1644 – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a crafter of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinized form of his surname, ""Stradivarius"", as well as the colloquial ""Strad"" are terms often used to refer to his instruments. It is estimated that Stradivari produced 1,116 instruments, 960 of which were violins. Around 650 instruments survived, including 450"
"Domenico Montagnana Domenico Montagnana (24 June 1686 – 6 March 1750) was an Italian master luthier based in Venice, Italy. He is regarded as one of the world's finest violin and cello makers of his time. His pieces, particularly his cellos, are extremely sought after by orchestras, notable musicians or collectors, and many form parts of collections in museums. Prices for authentic pieces can reach millions of US dollars at auction. Montagnana was born in Lendinara, Italy in 1686. His father, Paolo, was a shoemaker. He made stringed musical instruments (violins, violas, cellos) and double basses in Venice. He was"
"brother of Andrea Guarneri."" A Guarneri violin is a center object in one of Andrea Camilleri's main Montalbano novels ""La Voce del violino"" (The voice of the violin). In the summer of 2010, the ex-Vieuxtemps Guarneri del Gesù, a violin built in 1741 by Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri was offered for sale at auction with a starting bid of $18 million, the highest price ever sought for a musical instrument. The violin was later sold for an undisclosed sum and Anne Akiko Meyers was given lifetime use. Guarneri The Guarneri (often referred to in the Latinized form ""Guarnerius"") is the family"
"of a pumpkin to cure infertility, and the boy then born is named ""Bachtalo"". Another Roma tale with the same name (also published by Wlislocki) is lesser-known, probably because it is confusing and lacks a happy ending. A young women contacts the devil because she admires a rich hunter who ignores her. She sacrifices her family for the devil's violin to attract the hunter; her father becomes its body, her four brothers become the strings and her mother becomes the bow. In the end, the young woman is carried off by the devil when she refuses to worship him; the"
"were buried at the Père Lachaise cemetery. Teresa Milanollo donated many of the keepsakes and documents of her and her sister’s artistic career to the native town Savigliano. Nowadays these objects are displayed in the city museum ""Antonino Olmo"", in a dedicated room. Teresa Milanollo's works, largely forgotten today, include: In 2016, the CD ""musica immortale"" by violinist Valentina Busso and pianist Eliana Grasso, containing 7 of Milanollo's compositions was released by Musica Viva records. Teresa Milanollo's violins included a 1728 Stradivarius and a c. 1680 Ruggieri, which had belonged to Paganini. It was sold in April 2010 by Tarisio"
"Giovanni Velluti (castrato) Giovanni Battista Velluti, colloquially ""Giambattista"" (28 January 1780 – 22 January 1861), was an Italian castrato. He is also considered ""last of the great castrati"" and had a reputation of being something of a diva, with some singers refusing to appear with him. Velluti was renowned for both his voice and his prodigious sexual escapades. Apparently, many husbands could not believe that their wives were engaging in such affairs, as those husbands didn't understand that Velluti's genitalia (and castrati's genitalia in general), still functioned. Born in Pausula (near Macerata), Italy, a local doctor castrated him at the"
"a man who sold his soul to the Devil, the same Mephisto wagering with an angel to corrupt the soul of Faust, the plague sent by Mephisto on Faust's small town, and the familiar cliffhanger with Faust unable to find a cure for The Plague, and therefore turning to Mephisto, renouncing God, the angel, and science alike. Directed by René Clair, 1950 – A somewhat comedic adaptation with Michel Simon as Mephistopheles/Faust as old man, and Gérard Philipe as Faust transformed into a young man. Directed by Brian DePalma, 1974 - A vain rock impresario, who has sold his soul"
"Improvised Ornamentation of Giuseppe Tartini"". Unpublished M.A. thesis. Berkeley, 1959). Tartini is mentioned in Madame Blavatsky's ""The Ensouled Violin"", a short story included in the collection ""Nightmare Tales"". The folklore of the ""Devil's violin"", classically exemplified by a similar story told of Niccolò Paganini, is widespread; it is an instance of the ""Deal with the Devil"". Modern variants are Roland Bowman's ""The Devil's Violin"" and the country song ""The Devil Went Down To Georgia""; the PBS segment on violin in its series ""Art"" was titled ""Art of violin: the devil's instrument"". Tartini's ""The Devil's Trill"" is the signature work of"
"noteworthy, and many of his works were published throughout Europe. Giuseppe Valentini Giuseppe Valentini (14 December 1681 – November 1753), nicknamed ""Straccioncino"" (Little Ragamuffin), was an Italian violinist, painter, poet, and composer, though he is known chiefly as a composer of inventive instrumental music. He studied under Giovanni Bononcini in Rome between 1692 and 1697. From 1710 to 1727 he served as ""‘Suonator di Violino, e Componitore di Musica’"" to Prince . He also succeeded Corelli as director of the concertino at San Luigi dei Francesi, from 1710 to 1741. Though during his lifetime overshadowed by the likes of Corelli,"
"1905 opened and successfully ran a workshop that can be compared to the great workshops of J.B. Vuillaume and W.E. Hill and Sons."" - Stefan Hersh """"One can easily say that Leandro was as influential in 20th century as J.B. Vuillaume was in the 19th century. Auction Record:Leandro Bisiach, Violin Milan 1895 Brompton's (London, England) Nov.3, 2008 $93,893 / £59,220"" - Gennady Filimonov Leandro Bisiach Leandro Bisiach (1864 – 1 December 1945) was an Italian violin maker, who was born in Casale Monferrato and died in 1945 at Venegono Superiore near Varese. Trained as a violinist, he made his first"
"Luigi Pistilli Luigi Pistilli (19 July 192921 April 1996) was an Italian actor of stage, screen, and television. At one time Luigi Pistilli was one of Italy's most respected actors of stage, screen, and television. In theater, was considered one of the country's finest interpreters of Bertolt Brecht's plays in ""The Threepenny Opera"" and ""St Joan of the Stockyards"". He is known to Italian horror movie buffs mainly for his three 1972 thrillers, ""Twitch of the Death Nerve"", ""Iguana with the Tongue of Fire"" and ""Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key"". Tragically, Pistilli committed"
"Carlo Caproli Carlo Caproli or Caprioli (before 1620 – after 1675?), also called Carlo del Violino, was an Italian violinist, organist, and a leading composer of cantatas in mid-17th-century Italy. Carlo Caproli was born in Rome. His father (originally from Poli) was a seller of green vegetables (""erbarolo""). He was recorded as Carlo del Violino in 1636, when he was engaged by the Barberini family for performances of ""Santa Teodora"" (with a text by Giulio Rospigliosi). Caproli was considered to be a ""maestro di cappella"" beginning in 1638, and was in charge of the music for the festival of the"