Observations

Many in his time believed that violinist, Nicolò Paganini, had made a pact with the devil.  His musical feats on the violin were extraordinary and often difficult in the extreme.  He was a supreme showman and in demand as a soloist all across Europe and beyond. Some believe he suffered from Marfan’s syndrome which could account for a number of his physical features, including unusually long fingers.  Still, he had no trouble attracting women.

The sweep and flourishes of the markings on Paganini’s scored cadenza (Italian: “cadence”), unaccompanied bravura passage introduced at or near the close of a movement of a composition and serving as a brilliant climax, particularly in solo concerti of a virtuoso character – seem to convey his swashbuckling and daring intensions for the music and the performer.