The violin occupies a special place not only in the orchestra, but also in the art of many genres, such as literature and painting. With its special, magical and infernal sound, connected with the forces of another world. Devil and violin, violin and devil: this combination appears for centuries in different arts, such as literature and visual art.

The violin instrument of sin.

The violin has occupied a special place in the culture. First, it is due to its special sound, which distinguishes it from other musical instruments. Another important reason is that the classical violin, which appeared in the sixteenth century, was ideal during the first centuries as a popular instrument for dancing. The music of the church was usually vocal (choral), or created with the help of magnificent organs. The Church did not approve popular music. The violin, which could easily be taken to the mountain to dance around the fire, the carnival, the dances and parties of the commoners, really seemed to be an "instrument of the devil", captivating the peasants, leading them to commit all sorts of indiscretions , for example, to dance in an embrace with young girls. Do not forget that the sound of a violin stands out for its special sensuality, add a little alcohol and you have the ingredients for a night of sin.

Evening song . Anna Berent (1871) Source

Devil's Trill Sonata.

There are several legends associated with the love of the devil to the violin, one of the main ones is the story that took place in 1713. The main violinist of that time, the Italian Giuseppe Tartini, fell asleep. When he woke up, he told what he had seen, in his dreams, the devil appeared to him and the musician sold his soul. Tartini gave the devil his violin to listen to how he played, and played such an incredible melody that the Italian was delighted. When Tartini awoke, he hurried to replicate the music he had heard, but as he himself admitted, his version was a hundred times worse than the one played by the devil. The Sonata for violin in G minor by Tartini has survived to this day. Known as "Devil's Trill Sonata", due to its complexity it is appreciated by violinists who want to demonstrate their skills.

And the devil played the violin... he played as Tartini had never heard that instrument played by anyone. It was a wild sonata, inciting and melancholy at the same time, tender and barbarous, anguished and yet full of beauty. The most delicious and daring piece of music.

The dream of Tartini - Louis-Léopold Boilly (1824) Source

Tartini -Frederick Smallfield (1863)
Source

The story that the great violinist sold his soul to the devil for his mastery was often said by those who in the first half of the nineteenth century heard the work of Paganini, who traveled throughout Europe. Tall, pale, thin, with black hair and long fingers, impressed his image. When Paganini was on stage and took the violin in his hands, the audience seemed to be under hypnosis, so expressive was his performance that he had nothing to envy to a rock star of our times, with fainting women and fits of hysteria in the public.

"Devil's Trill Sonata"
Source

Paganini loved the theatricality, that was one of the components of his success. Not only was it rumored that he had sold his soul to the devil for talent, he had also sold his mother's soul. It was claimed that the strings of his violin were not made of animal intestines, but of the bodies of unfortunate women, who had fallen in love with him. It was said that he entered the scene with dark glasses, because he was already dead and hid his eyes, so that it would not be seen that they burned with a hellish flame. The artists of the time portrayed Paganini projecting a shadow with horns and hooves.

When Paganini died, without having had time to take communion, the absence of this sacrament and the rumors led the Catholic Church to refuse to bury him in the consecrated ground. It took five years and a papal call to bury him.

---

It is said that the devil plays perfectly all musical instruments, but especially loves the violin...

Sources and references:

• Es.wikipedia.org. (2018). El Trino del Diablo. [online] Available at: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Trino_del_Diablo [Accessed 29 Nov. 2018].

• Elpensante.com. (2018). De Tartini a Paganini, la leyenda de la “Sonata del Diablo” – El pensante. [online] Available at: https://www.elpensante.com/de-tartini-a-paganini-la-leyenda-de-la-sonata-del-diablo/ [Accessed 29 Nov. 2018].

• Fernández, J. (2018). Sueños, diablos y violines. | Deviolines. [online] Deviolines.com. Available at: https://www.deviolines.com/el-demonio-y-el-violin/ [Accessed 29 Nov. 2018].

• Images taken from Wikimedia Commons (2018). https://commons.wikimedia.org

---

Other publications:

6 Facts about the Caribbean.

Characters: Bill Gates.

@rikrd3