PAGANINI, NICOLO, the most distinguished violinist of his time, was born at Genoa on the 18th of February 1784. His father was a small shopkeeper, and fond of music. Nicolo's musical talent manifesting itself in his infancy, his father resolved that it should receive proper cultivation; and therefore placed him under Costa, chief violinist at Genoa, with whom he studied the violin for six months with great assiduity. When twelve years old he performed in public, at Genoa, variations upon the air La Carmagnola, and was received with rapturous applause. His father then placed him under Alessandro Rola, at Parma, and afterwards under Ghiretti, for instructions in instrumental composition. He laboured incessantly to perfect his violin-playing; and having accidentally met with Locatelli's ninth work, L'Arte di Nuova Modulazione, devoted himself to the study of that music, full of excessive difficulties and novel effects. It seems probable that he was also acquainted with that very extraordinary book, Hortulus Chelicus, &c., published in 1688 by the German violinist Walther, who held an office at the electoral court
Paganism of Mayence. In Walther's book we find very difficult passages in single and double stops; imitations of cocks and hens, of the nightingale, of the guitar, of the muffled harp, and of the bagpipe, &c., all for one violin. The writer of this article has a copy of that curious work, but wanting the last seven pages. In 1801 Paganini began his professional travels in Italy; and in 1827, at Rome, received from the Pope the Order of the Golden Spur. Between 1801 and 1805 he studied the guitar for nearly four years. He visited Germany in 1828, and gave his first concert at Paris on the 9th March 1831, and was everywhere heard with delight and astonishment. In the same year he went to London, and afterwards to Dublin and to Edinburgh. He returned to Italy in 1834, and purchased several properties, among others the Villa Gajona, near Parma. In 1836 he was unfortunately led by some speculators to join in the establishment of what was named the "Casino Paganini," in one of the fashionable quarters of Paris. Concerts were given there, but did not pay the expenses of the casino. Paganini was too ill to perform at these concerts. The creditors of the speculators raised a process against him, and he was condemned to pay 50,000 francs, and a warrant was issued for seizing his person. When that judgment was pronounced, he was dying at Nice, after having languished for some time in the south of France. He died on the 27th May, 1840, leaving considerable wealth to his only son. The peculiarities of Paganini's style have been carefully described in a work by Carl Gull, chapel-master and director of the theatre in Frankfurt-on-the-Maine. His great superiority as a violinist excited much envy and jealousy, and thence arose a number of absurd and atrocious calumnies directed against him, especially in Paris. He published the testimonies of Italian ambassadors and public functionaries in disproof of the accusations of his enemies, and reduced them to silence. Several spurious works were published under Paganini's name. The following is the list given by himself of his published works:—12 Caprices ou études pour violon seul, Op. 1, Milan, Ricordi; Paris, Pacini. 6 Sonates pour violon et guitare, Op. 2, ibid. 6 Idem, Op. 3, ibid. 3 Quatuors pour violon, alto, guitare, et violoncelle, Op. 4, Milan, Ricordi; Paris, Richault. 3 Idem, Op. 5, Milan, Ricordi. (G. v. v.)
PAGANISM is a general term applied to all forms of religious worship that differ from Christianity, Judaism, or Mohammedanism. It is thus equivalent to the term heathenism. The name pagans (pagani, villagers) was employed by the early Christian writers to designate those who, after Christianity became the prevailing religion of the towns, still adhered to the old Roman faith. (Isidorus, viii. 10; Cod. Theod. 16. 10.) These pagani, or occupants of the pagi, into which the country people of the Roman nation were divided as early as Servius Tullius (Dionys. iv. 15), or, according to some, of Numa (Dionys. ii. 76), and which continued down to the latest times of the Roman empire, were, by a necessity of their position, excluded from the superior influences of civilization known to the towns, and practised rites and celebrated festivals quite peculiar to themselves. The most famous was their annual festival of the Paganalia. Gradually the term pagani came to signify those who adhered to heathenish observances, or to the worship of false gods.