This incident made a very lasting impression upon my mind.
This was told to me by my friend and class-mate, Christopher in the Medical College. Both of us were in the college orchestra. He played the violin and I played the Melodica-Soprano. This incident has always remained in the depth of my heart and has always inspired me to go along in life.
This is about the great Violin Maestro, Niccolo Paganini. He lived during the 19th century and was known as the 'King of the Violinists' and the 'Violinist for Kings'. He was a child prodigy who made his debut when he was nine years old. Paganini took the technique of playing the violin beyond the existing limits of those days.
During one concert, Paganini was building up his performance to its climax when one of the strings snapped. The audience was flabbergasted. This was the end of such a beautiful musical experience, surely.
But Paganini did not do as T.K.Bagavathi does in "SampuurNa Ramayannam'.
Paganini just continued to play on with the remaining strings. But Paganini was playing so fast and was doing his 'swara sanchaarams' with such rapidity that another string also broke. So were the hearts of the audience.
But Paganini played on and on.
But just before the final bar, the third string also snapped.
Paganini still continued on and finished the concert.
The audience was spell-bound.
Paganini spread out his arms, with the violin in one hand and the bow in the other, and before he took a bow, he said those immortal words,
'One string....and Paganini'.
One can still play with one string, but he has to be a Paganini.
