Sigma Alpha Iota

Fall 2019 22 PAN PIPES A World of Music By Jayne I. Hanlin My first memory of Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770) is hearing Erica Morini's LP recording of his solo violin sonata nicknamed the Devil's Trill, his most famous work. e composer and violinist was born in Piran, which was then part of the Republic of Venice, but is now located in Slovenia. On reclaimed land close to the harbor in this charming town of narrow streets is Tartini Square. On one side atop a plinth stands a life-size statue of Tartini. e work, completed in 1896—four years aer the 200th anniversary of the composer's birth—was sculpted by Antonio Dal Zatto (1841-1918). Tartini is posed bowing to his audience aer a violin performance. One of the houses on the square is his birthplace; inside is the Giuseppe Tartini Memorial Room. ere are plans to enlarge the museum within the building; now the collection in his memorial room is interesting—albeit small. On display are original copies of some of his theoretical works on harmony and acoustics (his focus in later years) as well as facsimiles of some of his musical manuscripts. ere is also his death mask, a marble bust, and in a prominent glass case the prize object in the exhibit: one of his three violins. During my visit, I was thrilled to hear a CD recording of someone playing this instrument, which is also still played at concerts occasionally in the small hall one level below. And what piece was it? e Devil's Trill, of course! I hadn't expected to find any other exhibits about this composer while I was on my Adriatic cruise but was delighted to discover large purple musical notes stuck on the pavement at the fortress of Pula, Croatia. ese led to a temporary Tartini exhibit, making the ascent up the sloping hill even more worthwhile. ere was no admission charge to visit the chronological two-room exhibit, which was larger and more extensive than its Slovenian counterpart I'd seen the day before. From the large posters about the composer, I learned a lot: Tartini le Prian when he was 16 and never returned. At one time early in his career, he practiced the violin perhaps as much as eight hours a day. He was an excellent fencer. From January 1724 to June 1726, he lived and worked in Prague. He discovered the difference tone, which helps intonation when playing double stops. His school of violin playing for gied students in Padua was renowned, and the poor attending did not have to pay for their lessons. An injury to his right hand ended his concert career. In 1754 he published Treatise on Music According to the True Science of Harmony. All in all, Tartini was not merely an 18th-century one- hit-wonder. e translation of the Latin words on a poster describe Tartini this way: "e great master of the violin and scientific treatises as well as teacher of his famous disciples, unequalled by anyone in his time and possibly never to be matched again." Jayne I. Hanlin is an initiate of Alpha Omicron and current member of the St. Louis Alumnae chapter. Mrs. Hanlin, the sister of famed pianist Malcolm Frager, is the co-author of Learning Latin Through Mythology (Cambridge University Press, 1991). Giuseppe Tartini Memorial Room ... and a Bonus Jayne Hanlin with the Tartini Statue in Piran, Slovenia Fall 2019 22 PAN PIPES

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