A famous violin once played by 18th
century virtuoso Niccoò Paganini is to be sent to a special lab
in France to repair wear and tear and the inevitable effects of
age including cracks.
The legendary Guarneri del Gesù known as 'il Cannone' (The
Cannon) will be sent to the European synchrotron radiation
facility in Grenoble, one of the world's top cultural heritage
repair workshops.
The Cannone is kept in a special micro-climate created by a
high-tech case in Palazzo Tursi in Genoa but despite this care
it has been showing sings of its 280 years.
Paganini was born in Genoa in October 1782.
His genius as a player overshadowed his work as a
composer. His compositions, which were mainly written for his
own performances, were so difficult he was said by his
contemporaries to have entered a pact with the Devil.
His 24 caprices for unaccompanied violin are among the
most difficult works ever written for the instrument.
After practicing as much as 15 hours a day in his early
years, Paganini rarely practiced after his 30th birthday. He
nonetheless retained his brilliant technique which included
near impossible fingerings and bowings and tricks such as
playing a piece on one string after snapping the other three.
His success brought him large sums of money but he
squandered his wealth, becoming an addicted and reckless
gambler who at one point was even forced to pawn his violin.
Paganini also suffered from a series of chronic
complaints including, some believe, Marfan syndrome - a
congenital disorder of the joints sometimes found in very
tall persons with elongated fingers.
Some experts believe the syndrome explains Paganini's
incomparable dexterity and legendary finger contortions.
Paganini died in Nice, France in May 1840.
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