What a fantastic evening at the Guildhall! Tonight, in our special gala for LSO Discovery, the legendary Il Cannone – Niccolò Paganini’s 18th-century Guarneri del Gesù violin – was brought to life by violinist Simon Zhu, with Sir Antonio Pappano conducting. 🎻✨
We were also honoured to welcome His Majesty The King, Patron of the LSO, to share in this extraordinary moment. My opening remarks:
Paganini Gala, Great Hall, Guildhall, Monday, 14 October 2024
The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli
May it please Your Majesty – Your Majesty, Your Highness, Your Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to Guildhall – the historic and ceremonial heart of the City of London and home of the City Corporation: the world’s oldest democratic workers’ and residents’ cooperative, dating back almost 14 centuries, with elections held continuously here since the 7th century.
It was Hans Christian Andersen who said: “When words fail, music speaks” – but don’t worry, for the next minute or two I’ll try my best!
This evening marks the crescendo of our inaugural City Festival of Music, Invention and Knowledge – a two-week demonstration of the Square Mile’s ingenuity and cultural dynamism.
Indeed, few other places can boast the majesty of St Paul’s and the Gherkin, the creativity of the Barbican and, of course, the London Symphony Orchestra, or the inventiveness of Gresham College and the Monument, all within a single city, let alone 1.12 square miles. I say few because as the birthplace of Colombus, Alberti, and yes, Paganini, Genoa certainly gives us a run for our money.
I am delighted to welcome this evening the Deputy Mayor of Genoa, Pietro Piciocchi, and His Excellency, the Italian Ambassador, Inigo Lambertini, and would like to thank both for their generous help in making tonight’s loan of Il Cannone possible.
We look forward to celebrating with you this evening our two cities’ indomitable ties through the international language of music. In 1831, Paganini played just down the road in Mansion House, or Mansion Home, as Elisabeth and I call it. Paganini was brought in, quite remarkably, as he was a little cheaper than other musicians on offer.
According to rumour, before that performance 193 years ago, he weakened a string with a razor, breaking it on purpose while playing to flaunt his virtuosity – stealing the show and winning the admiration of the then Lord Mayor, Sir John Key.
Variously dubbed “Teufelsgeiger”, the devil’s fiddler, and “Hexensohn”, the witch’s son, monikers Paganini was given as he was believed to have done a deal with the devil that allowed him to play as fast as twelve notes a second (an image he didn’t exactly try to dispel). His music flows as a constant through each of this festival’s twelve concerts, and in turn, through your support. The funds raised tonight, will help to train the next generation of brilliant musicians via the London Symphony Orchestra’s Discovery programme.
The famous phrase “Paganini non ripete” – “Paganini does not repeat – supposedly originating from an incident in 1825 when King Charles Felix asked the violinist for an encore of a piece he had just played – not only led to the musician’s expulsion from the Kingdom of Sardinia, but serves as a reminder that the beauty of live performance is that no two shows are the same.
Each is a unique coming together of music, artist, and audience which, to paraphrase Plato, “gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.”
Well tonight, let us add another, as the brilliance of Paganini gives voice to international friendship.
It is my great pleasure to now welcome to the stage Benjamin Marquise Gilmore, Leader of the LSO, and Sir Antonio Pappanno, its Chief Conductor. Please now stand for the National Anthem.
[A short video of highlights]