Niccolò Paganini was famous for his voracious appetite for women. One of his most formative romantic relationships was with a singer named Antonia Bianchi, from 1824 to 1828. Together, these two Italians were electric – but their respective tempers quickly

Niccolò Paganini, born on 27 October 1782 in Genoa, Italy, was the ultimate showman long before that term even existed. Reports said that during performances, his eyes would roll back in his head while he played. His magnetism was so

Franz Liszt (1811–1886) was the original piano superstar. He had the looks and the locks, all paired with theatrical flair and fingers that moved at blazing speed. He was the prototypical musical showman, but behind his flamboyant public demeanour was

A major turning point in Niccolò Paganini’s life came in the summer of 1825, when his illegitimate son, Achilles Paganini, was born. His relationship with Achilles’s mother was, for all intents and purposes, over by the time the baby arrived,

Nowadays, the music of violinist Niccolò Paganini has largely fallen out of fashion, save among violin nerds. But Paganini was one of the earliest icons of the Romantic Era, and he lived a colourful life to prove it. In 1946,

In the afternoon of 27 May 1840, the greatest violinist the world had ever known died at the age of 57. Niccolò Paganini had revolutionised violin technique and essentially invented the concept of the virtuoso performer. His legendary 24 Caprices,

The prevailing image of Niccolò Paganini immediately brings his thunderous violin concertos to mind. Hardly surprising, as they are such wondrous orchestral spectacles where Paganini tamed the instrument like a wild stallion. And let’s not forget the legendary 24 Caprices,

In the 19th-century concert hall, Niccolò Paganini emerged like a figure plucked from a dark fairy tale. His tall, gaunt frame was cloaked in black, with his long jet-black hair trailing like a shadow. He moved with quiet intensity, and