Giuseppe Tartini

Virtuoso violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini became something of a legend in his own lifetime: he mesmerised listeners with his “divine cantabile” (that is, singing tone), while his most famous work—the “Devil’s Sonata”—was said to have been inspired by the sound of Satan himself playing the violin. Born in Piran in 1692, from 1721 Tartini was violinist and director of music at the Franciscan Basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua, where many of his works were performed during ceremonies by the revered relic of Saint Anthony’s tongue; pilgrims and Grand Tourists alike flocked to hear them. In 1728, he founded the School of Nations—a magnet for violin students from all over Europe, and his didactic treatises remain important sources for performers today. On his death in Padua in 1770, he left a goldmine of some 450 compositions, mostly violin concertos and sonatas, which showcase his lyrical melodies—inspired by opera arias or by folk and oral traditions—as well as his virtuosic and dramatic gifts.