129.—VIOTTI'S TIN FIDDLE.
Had the world not had a Viotti it might not have produced a Paganini. Viotti fixed the principles of violin playing, especially with regard to the bowing. His playing was characterized by " a great nobility, breadth, and beauty of tone, united with a fire and agility unknown before his time." On his work was based Paganini's brilliant and dazzling technic.
While Viotti was noted for his independence of bearing, he was also a kind-hearted man and a pleasant and companionable gentleman. It is related of him that, strolling on the Champs Elysees one night with a friend, they came across a blind old man making music on some instrument that seemed by its tone to be a cross between a fiddle and a clarinet. Having their curiosity excited by the strange sound, they found the old fellow using a fiddle made of tin. On inquiring of him as to his instrument, they learned that he was miserably poor and did not have money enough to buy an ordinary violin, so his nephew, a tinker by trade, had made him this one of tin.
Viotti offered to buy this queer violin, but the old man declined to part with it until he was promised enough to buy a new one. Then Viotti took up this queer instrument and played on it in his inimitable way; his friend passed the hat and secured a good sum for its former owner. When the old man heard such wonderful music come from the tin fiddle he declared that he did not know it was so good, but since it was capable of such grand music he ought to have had double the amount he had received for it.
Viotti good-naturedly let him have his way and paid him twice the price agreed upon. After the master's death in London, when his instruments and effects were disposed of, this tin fiddle was sold for but a few shillings to an amateur lover of curiosities.