'Cannon' by Nicolò Paganini
2 minutes
If the Genoese Nicolò Paganini (1698-1744) was as famous as a rock star is today, his violin remains one of the world's most famous musical instruments. The great violinist and composer himself had named it "The Cannon" and that is what it is still called today. Made in 1742 by the Cremonese luthier Bartolomeo Guarneri 'del Gesù' for the custom of associating the sign of the cross with the signature, it is now on display in the heart of Genoa, in Palazzo Tursi, seat of the City Hall and one of the most famous Palazzi dei Rolli, the city's UNESCO heritage buildings. Preserved under constant humidity and temperature conditions, it is located in the Paganini Room, together with a copy made in 1833 by the French luthier Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume and other Paganini memorabilia: scores, documents, autograph letters.
A gift to the city
It was Paganini himself who indicated in his will that 'the Cannon' should remain in Genoa, testifying to the genius' attachment to his native city. Given to him by an admirer in 1802, it was his favourite instrument because of the fullness of its sound and harmony, so much so that it entered into a symbiotic relationship with him, almost becoming an extension of his body. Paganini, who played it by resting his chin directly on the end of the soundboard without using the chin rest, left marks on it from the crazy and desperate use he made of it in hundreds of extraordinary concerts.
A record-breaking success
Paganini\'s success was something unrepeatable in the first half of the 18th century, as other famous contemporaries confirmed. Robert Schumann declared that he had never heard such a phenomenon, while Franz Schubert described his sound as comparable to the 'voice of an angel' and Franz Lizst considered it 'unsurpassable'. The international 'Paganini Prize' competition for young violinists also takes place in Genoa every two years, attracting and consecrating the most promising violinists in the world on the stage of the Carlo Felici Opera House.
Content compiled with information provided by the Liguria Region Partner
