A GALA EVENING WITH PAGANINI'S VIOLIN (Presented by the Cities of Genoa and San Francisco) close this window to return to EugeneFodor.com B  A  C  K  G  R  O  U  N  D Nicolo Paganini Born October 27, 1782 in Genoa, Italy; Died in Nice, France May 27, 1840, Nicolo Paganini was perhaps the most dazzling violinist of all time and one of the greatest legends of the musical world, composing the landmark 24 Caprices for Violin, 6 Violin Concertos, and hundreds of smaller works. His popularity and fame during his lifetime remains unequaled in the annals of music history. For Paganini's eulogy, Franz Liszt wrote in the Paris Gazette: The unattainable, unsurpassable greatness of his genius frightens even those who try to follow in his footsteps. None will succeed him, none may be called his equal in fame. For what artist's fame has enjoyed such unclouded sunlight; who is his equal in the enthusiastic and undivided opinion of the world, as ruler in the kingdom of art? Il Cannone Created by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu in 1742, this instrument is probably the finest and most well known violin in the world. It was given to the young Paganini by a General Pino and remained Paganini's only concert instrument for the rest of his life. Aptly named "Il Cannone violino" (the Cannon violin) by Paganini, it is renowned for its matchless projection of sound and dark tonal quality. It is a uniquely preserved instrument, kept as Paganini left it, retaining its original neck (only one other del Gesu survives in this condition). Paganini is widely credited as the first player to draw attention to the unique qualities of del Gesu violins and this is the violin which established their present reputation. For nearly two centuries, del Gesus have been the violin of choice for many of the world's greatest violinists, and their rarity, rich tone and value surpasses even those of Antonio Stradivari. Bequeathed to the city of Genoa at Paganini's death, "Il Cannone" has remained in the Comune di Genova ever since, apart from rare loans to special exhibitions such as this special concert in San Francisco featuring violinist Eugene Fodor. The Event Thanks to the generosity of the Regional Christopher Columbus Foundation, the Commission for the Violin of Nicolo Paganini and the Mayor of Genoa, the violin was in San Francisco for a single concert on Tuesday, October 26, 1999. The Honorable Willie Brown, Commissioner Angelo Quaranta, Michael Sangiacomo, Italian Consul General Sebastiano Salvatori, and the Amici Foundation presented an exciting evening of Genovese food and music. The once-in-a-lifetime concert was held in Herbst Theater in the War Memorial Performing Arts Center and was followed by an elegant black tie dinner in the spectacular San Francisco City Hall Rotunda. Amici Foundation Proceeds raised from this special evening will benefit the Amici Foundation. The Amici Foundation was established to help educate the general public about the art, music, culture and history of Italy in addition to providing support for music programs and scholarships for children in the San Francisco area. As school districts continue to cut their budgets, music programs often are the first to be eliminated. It is a goal of the Foundation to provide opportunities for children to pursue interests in music, a universal language that is essential to us all. close this window to return to EugeneFodor.com