Niccolo Paganini was such a gifted violinist ...
... people thought he sold his soul to the devil By Maddy Shaw Roberts, Classic FM London Some thought he was a metaphorical musical God, others thought he literally got his virtuosity from a deal with the Devil. But what was the real story behind Niccolò Paganini’s genius? Born on 27 October 1782 in Genoa, Italy, Niccolò Paganini was an incredibly gifted musician, and is widely considered one of the greatest violinists of all time. He started playing the mandolin aged five, before taking up the violin aged seven and giving his first public performance aged 11 in Genoa. At the age of just 15, he started playing solo tours. The 19th century produced a number of extraordinary violinists – but none like Paganini. His talent was so beyond that of his peers that people started to believe he had made a pact with the devil. It was even rumoured that Paganini’s mother had sold his soul to the devil so he could become the greatest virtuoso in history. ...