Paganini, Niccolò, (1782-1840)

contradicting Carli’s assertion that Antonia Bianchi would have been a consoling presence during his recent illness, describing the transformation he has wrought on her, artistically and personally, lavishing on her clothing and jewels, explaining how miserable they were together and revealing her efforts to blacken his name; he reports on concerts in Dresden, where he was keenly aware of the loss of their splendid conductor even though the orchestra is otherwise among the finest, expresses delight in the fine reception he was given by the wife of Alessandro Rolla, and mentions his forthcoming visit to London ("...A Dresda diedi alcuni Concerti, e mi avvidi ...troppo che mancava l'ottimo Direttore di quale Orchestra la quale è per altro delle migliori...")

2 pages, small 4to (c.21.5 x 16.3cm), integral autograph address leaf, Berlin, 1 March 1829, some show-through of the ink, some smudges and stains, traces of papered seal,

Published in A. Holde, "An unknown Paganini letter" in Music & Letters, xxviii (1947), pp.338-350, in English and with a facsimile of the first page, from which an Italian translation of the entire text is published in R. Grisely, Niccolò Paganini. Epistolario (2006), no.337 (pp.470-472).  

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RARE. It is unusual to find such details of the great violinist's personal life expressed so openly in a letter. Paganini performed in Dresden in January 1829 during his extensive tours of Austria, Germany and Poland from August 1828 until February 1831. After Berlin, he went to Warsaw and Breslau. The "splendid director, so badly missed", probably refers to Paganini's teacher, Alessandro Rolla, who was leader of the orchestra in Dresden from 1822.