homeWelcome, sign in or click here to subscribe.login
     


 

 

Architecture & Engineering


Subscriber content preview

January 29, 2010

Strange But True!

Q. If you think Elvismania and Beatlemania are only modern phenomena, think again...

A. Some two hundred years ago, Italian violin virtuoso Nicolo Paganini (b. 1782) drove his audiences into a frenzy that hadn't been seen before, so much so that many believed he had a pact with the devil, says Barry Parker in “The Physics of Music.” And in many ways he played that role, arriving at concerts dressed entirely in black and in a black coach drawn by four black horses. He would rush onto the stage, brush back his long black hair and begin playing entirely from memory, adding to his mystique.


 
. . .


To read this story in full login or purchase a subscription.



Previous columns:



Email or user name:
Password:
 
Forgot password? Click here.