This clip from WCMH news in Columbus, Ohio, shows ‘Il Cannone’, Paganini’s favourite violin, arriving for a weeklong stay at the Columbus Museum of Art.

The violin, made in 1743 by Guarneri ‘Del Gesù’, was nicknamed ‘Il Cannone’ (the cannon) by Paganini because of its power and projection.

It will be on exhibition from 11 to 19 May and played by the Columbus Symphony concertmaster Joanna Frankel in a concert with the orchestra at the Ohio Theatre on 15 May.

Accompanying the violin is its curator Bruce Carlson, who wrote an article for The Strad in 2004 about the work he did on the instrument. 

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