It was crowded, there were just
two places to stand
in the upper echelon, and they
were too expensive for commoners.
Then a figure tread onto the stage
as if it were rising from hell.
His black frock was crumpled,
as though he had slept in it.
The head and the terrible face
with the deformity... the cynical mouth
seemed through the murky lighting
still more corpse-white.
In his motions,
laid an eerie stiffness
and something so clownishly animal,
that the public giggled.
An inerasable figure of deep sadness,
Genius and Hell
left their mark.
He had an imbecilic humility,
that only a morbid pity
held back my laughter.
He scraped along the way
the floor with his foot!
From whom had he copied these contortions?
A mechanical toy?
Were those the eyes of a cursed man,
which are begging for clemency?
Or does behind it lurk
the sneer of a sly curmudgeon?
The vampire with the violin drains us,
if not the blood from the heart,
then the gold from our pockets!
But these thoughts fell silent immediately,
when the wonderful master
set his violin on his chin and began to play.
My God!
Exactly like during that time in Vienna!
So long ago!
I feel the same passion!
The same desire for him!
I said, as the pathetic man
made his ridiculous bow.
Nevertheless, it is impossible not to love him!
When he played, he got an erection.
He was in prison!
Because of murder!
He impregnated a minor and
poisoned her! - He played left-handed!
He played left- AND right-handed!
He wore down a bow each performance?
- His bow is super long!
And he is greatly strained!
- He never gets the chords right!
The strings put themselves out of tune.
- He corrected them while playing!
No one can move a finger so fast while playing! Unbelievable!
See, he is swapping the bow!
When Paganini again began to play,
I nearly almost fell faint.
Whether or not I embroider,
sing,
read,
or lay awake,
even in my dreams
I am with you.
But you refuse,
to make me happy.
To flee from Nicolo means
to flee from life.
You are so ugly.
I never even liked you!
Don't think,
I am irresponsible, sweetheart.
Your music causes measureless joy and
desperate desire for you!
My sweetheart,
deliver me from this agony!
I can bear it no longer!
I must go to America and Russia.
I must go to Russia, Achille.
I must go to Russia,
Russia and America.
Russians cry, when they hear music.
Russia and America,
America and Russia.
Achille!
Papa, let us go away from here.
- Yes, my sweetie, assist me with the running.
Please, Papa, please!
She is the most beautiful girl in the world
but too young ...
No, she does not like any music.
I am thinking of another.
She is also young.
We must go away, Papa.
She is married,
though. Never mind.
Who he probably is?
- The one that has luck! - A red-blooded male!
He looks good!
- How Exciting!
He is gazing at me!
- He is pleasing to me!
This Mr. Paganini is very charming!
With a false wedding-vow,
it fell to him easily, to seduce
this underage girl!
Fiendish seduction
Rape of an underage girl,
cold-blooded brutality...
According to charges, this devil,
this suppleness old man,
bewitched the world
and seduced countless women!
I wish that would be me!
Angiolina became pregnant.
Paganini wanted her to have an abortion.
He said to her that she would have worms,
and nearly poisoned her with a worm cure!
Nicolo's parents were poor.
Malnutr5tiion and illnesses
weakened his strengths from an early age.
He contracted tuberculosis,
which ruined his health altogether.
Despite his millions,
he always takes only the half dose
of the prescribed drugs.
He haggles for all of his groceries.
Thereby, it is all the same to him,
whether or not the flesh stinks.
He gets epileptic seizures,
when he hears a church bell.
He sacrificed everything for art.
He has thus sacrificed everything for us!
Until he was 18, he practiced 14 hours a day.
He is an animal!
When he had the chance, he raped each woman,
in front of all of those minors!
Fever, sore throat
and stomach cramps
make his life agony!
Call it by the name: Syphilis!
That comes from his harlotry!
His pathological fear of poverty
became greed misunderstood.
Even in wealth
he indulges in no luxury.
Except for his unusual affection
for fine drapery,
for which he begrudgingly paid,
or his weakness for exclusive hotels
and the expensive coaches,
in which he made his visits.
For 30 years,
he owned the same frock,
which travels in a violin box.
So he has no luggage!
- He has been imprisoned for 11 weeks.
Let him go!
I ask the maximum penalty
for his crimes! - It is a mad house!
All of you are being completely insane!
This case is impossible! God!
The marvellous tour of the
then tiny Paganini!
The giant Paganini came to London.
The avenue to fame
his beginning takes.
He shouted: "That was it already
I gave the fiddle
to my only son."
The tiny Paganini went about with the violin,
to the British Museum in
Bloomsbury Square.
When he played,
everyone danced completely free.
He made good fun,
because they radiated from it.
Nicolo!
A cheapskate said to Paganini: "Oi!
Your Music is too expensive! Go!"
But as soon as Paganini's violin sounded,
the cheapskate, will-less,
shook a leg! Paganini thought:
"Orpheus could make fish happy,
I will please them too!"
He played to whale and shark
the rhythm to it, belted on the wharf.
The bathing people rose in the exquisite wet.
Paganini thought: "To the beach onwards!"
Everyone danced, when his notes played,
yes, even the horses jumped.
The tiny Paganini played without flaw
for the animals in Regent's Park.
Lions, bears and apes danced to it
even the elephants and giraffes!
One says, you would have had
an affair with Napoleon's sister.
I've slept with them and all of Europe's whores, sweetheart!
I'm having you shot dead!
You bitch!
I am Paganini!
In your stride and in your button!
I will break you in! - Remember who
brought you to the top.
I could have you shot dead
for desertion!
Have me shot dead!
Go, why don't you!
Darling, why have you killed that small girl?
What are you talking about?
I killed no one.
But, of course!
- Who then?
Those who you were in jail because of.
Oh, those!
Have you ever loved a woman?
Come, kiss me.
No.
I hate you!
I want to go home.
Why?
- I hate you!
Tomorrow I'm going back to Palermo!
- Palermo?
Go to hell!
You said, You killed them.
Your lawyer, Mr Germi, was present.
Why am I so jealous?
I love you!
- I love you!
Delay the tour, please!
I will make a lot of money
in Vienna, Prague, London, Paris.
It is after Achille's birth, we must
go on a honeymoon. - I must go.
I need no money.
You also don't, you never spend
We need the money.
For what?
- You don't understand?
For your diluted soup,
Your cheese rinds and bread crusts ?
You don't need it.
You need love, not whores!
Take me with, don't leave me alone!
Let us this time go this time
without an argumentative goodbye. Please!
I do not want to stay here all alone!
You don't want to take us along!
You are not alone,
You have a son.
Take both of us!
-Without Achille, I cannot live!
You only want to be taken by the whores
and all the different women in bed.
Take me with you please.
Antonia, please! On such a journey?
You must be insane!
I cannot make it.
Please!
- Goodbye, Antonia.
Sometime or other, you stand with nothing but
your damned violin! - Leave me!
Paganini kills his wife.
No, I am only a whore!
Nothing but your damn violin!
Set off, leave me all alone!
Leave me ... I hate you!
You are the devil!
I am running late!
Whom do you drive today?
- A violinist.
Now my baby boy takes a nap.
A nap.
Papa will play for you.
Come, my darling, sleep.
Should I fetch the violin for you?
When you want to take a nap,
the violin will wake you up.
The violin is like a puppy.
Do you believe me now?
Don't you think the violin is like a puppy?
Listen, my Baby boy.
It is time for a nap.
You like the door noises better,
I know
Do you want a donkey?
Now this age old door in the old castle!
You remember the story ,
that papa told you.
Now she calls you: Achille! Achille!
"In Italy everywhere is music
In the earth, in the sea,
in the trees, in the heaven.
In the houses of the poor
and in the castles of the rich.
Music comes from fire,
from the inside of the earth,
the sea, the heaven.
The Italian heaven
is framed of fire.
Italy is the land of fires."
Come, my darling,
Papa is going to help you with the button.
Time to go to bed.
Where is Mama?
Mama is not with us any more.
You must forget her.
Please.
But where is Mama?
My boy!
Only now you are completely my son.
The sun will shine.
Like in Genoa. Some day
we will go together to Genoa.
Sleep, my darling.
Sleep.
Paganini wishes you a good night.
Now turn home for your dinner!
Have it with me, you devil!
He said!
I want to touch him!
Money sucker!
Swindler!
Crawl in the dust!
You have no teeth!
Take me with you into hell!
- Child thief!
Fiddle on my ass! Come on!
I am also a small girl!
Do you have opium nearby?
He betrayed us!
- Behind the curtains,
a small girl plays!
- Snatch him!
Don't let him escape!
He didn't come through with it!
Cheat!
And Paganini, would you speak to us about the idea,
of all of us going to America?
Watson organizes the tour
You play the fiddle, obviously
And Carol and I sing.
That is actually a really good idea!
We are having multi-coloured costumes made for ourselves.
It will be a smash hit! It is a really good idea, Paganini!
Please say that you are agreed.
We will amuse ourselves gloriously.
I find it wonderful!
Why don't you say what you think about it.
Carol has a marvellous voice. Have you
heard her voice? She is not even 14.
Oh, really?
She can audition anytime with me.
I like talented young people.
Carol!
Come here!
Carol!
We really want, that she does not end
up at the loom like her mother.
What say you about the voice of our girl, Paganini?
She is the new Giuditta Pasta!
Of course, she is still a child.
You like it nevertheless, or?
Her voice, I mean.
Once more!
Please once more! Don't go!
Do it once more, I beg you!
Please once more!
It is impossible!
- She is my daughter!
Don't push, Sir,
You cannot come up!
Let me up, or I call
the police. - She is underage!
With this animal! Do you all not understand?
He is a swindler!
- What is your name? - Paganini.
An Italian!
- Don't go! Don't go, please!
Please don't go! Once more!
Where are you going? Do it once more!
You will go to jail for it!
I want more!
Please come here! Do it once more!
I want you! I want you so bad!
Please. Do me once more! Yes!
Yes, Once more, Yes!
Yes, it is so right! Exactly so!
Come, my darling!
Bring this letter to my lawyer,
Herrn Germi. - At once.
We are here, to execute the judgment
of the Parisian Court
and to call in every debt!
You owe your partner Fleury
The Casino "Paganini" had to close,
because you are not going to give a concert
and the firm went broke.
Besides you're supposed to have a proven
assassin for Herrn Fleury
I swear,
You will pay Herrn Fleury
every cent!
Even if we must confiscate your violin!
His violin that only plays when full of gold
should become eternally silent!
My god, I have no more strength.
Why do you never come to church?
Even Easter Sunday you weren't there!
And you are not baptized, or?
- I don't know.
Your father forbid it!
Father says, you crucify the Christian children!
In your condition you should not think about
your violin, but rather your soul.
My father would like that you go!
Heretic, You will atone for it!
- Get out of here!
Get out!
Soon you will all stand before god,
have all of you, His servants, nothing to say?
Get out of here! Get out!
This tumour of Satan dominated
the dreams of our continents.
Your only interests in life are your violin,
money,
and naive women.
Ever younger so much the better,
and when it's possible: underage.
He is obsessed with sex.
I take no pity on him.
My Father!
My Father is dead!
Not one centimetre of sanctified earth
should he have for his eternal resting place.
We will chuck him in the river or the ocean.