Niccolò Paganini. A Re-evaluation of his Legend

Scientific Essay from the year 2017 in the subject Musicology - Miscellaneous grade: 1st class Royal Holloway University of London (University of London) course: Research language: English abstract: This study constitutes a unique and dedicated attempt to address the extent to which Paganini's character has been misrepresented to date. Making detailed reference to biographies and previous writings on Paganini it dismantles the myth-making surrounding the violinist's legendary status and overturns the common perceptions of Paganini as a gambler compulsive womanizer murderer wrecker of relationships miser vulgarian and heathen. It attempts to depict the 'real' Paganini and demonstrates that there is little if any justification for the excessive calumny to which the renowned violinist was subjected in his lifetime and beyond.