Paganini was a striking man with hollow cheeks, pale skin and thin lips. It is said he could play 12 notes per second – a feat later achieved by violinist David Garrett, who plays Paganini in The Devil’s Violinist, a 2013 film based on the composer’s life story. He also purposely mistuned strings to make certain pieces easier to play. Known particularly for his fiendish 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Paganini helped popularise certain string techniques such as bow bounces – spiccato – as well as left-hand pizzicato and harmonics. He was one of the first solo violinists to perform publicly without sheet music, choosing instead to memorise everything. One thing was for sure: Paganini’s skill on the violin was unparalleled. Women’s screams were said to be heard from his violin when he performed on stage. A rumour even spread that Paganini had murdered a woman, used her intestines as violin strings and imprisoned her soul within the instrument. The violinist’s fame slowly turned him into a heavy gambler, drinker and a serial womaniser. This is a famous fake daguerreotype (early photograph) of the violinist. But when 15-year-old Paganini embarked on solo tours, he had a breakdown and turned to alcoholism. The young Paganini was clearly a child prodigy.
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