Niccolo Paganini. a Re-Evaluation of His Legend

Scientific Essay from the year 2017 in the subject Musicology, 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 he was subjected in his lifetime and beyond.