Nicolo Paganini - A Biography #220932

N icolo's first teachers were Giovanni Servetto, a man of little merit, says Fétis, with whom he did not remain long, and afterward Giacomo Costa, Musical Director and first violin of some of the prominent churches at Genoa, from whom he took thirty lessons in six months. At the early age of eight Paganini composed a violin sonata, and at eight and a-half years of age he'played a concerto by Pleyel in a church. From that time on until he was eleven years old, he had regular engagements to perform works of this kind at religious ceremonies. Paganini looked upon this as of much moment, since the church services forced him to constant practice on his instrument. He also mentions with grateful recognition one of his countrymen, Francesco Gnecco — according to Conestabile, a writer of popular drama, who strongly influenced his musical development. When young Nicolo was about eleven and a-half years old — or perhaps two years earlier — he gave his first concert at the San Agostino Theatre, assisted by the singer, Teresa Bertinotti, and the male soprano, Marchesi. As for him, he played to his townspeople among other things, variations on the Carmagnole, which was very popular in Genoa at that time, and his success was enormous. The Marquis Di Negro (at whose house Kreutzer heard him about 1795) became much interested in the youthful virtuoso, and it was prob ably at his instigation that Antonio Paganini began a search for good masters. In 1796 he took his son to Parma, bearing letters of recommendation to Court officials, to Rolla and the famous Paér. At Florence he was presented to Salvator Tinti, who was astonished on hearing him play the variations on the Carmagnole. At Parma, he tells us I found in Rolla's room a new concerto composed by him, which I played at sight; Rolla was much astonished and in stead of giving me instruction on the violin, advised me to study counterpoint under Maestro Ghiretti, a Neapolitan court — musician and noted composer, who had also been Paér's teacher. Thus states Paganini, but it appears, according to Gervasoni, that the young artist actually took lessons from Alessandro Rolla during several months.