musical instruction was received from his father, who is severally
mentioned as a blacksmith and as a horn player. His musical talent being
early noticeable, he was sent to Turin and placed by Prince Pozzo de la
Cisterna under the tutelage of Pugnani, and was soon received into the
royal band. In 1780 he travelled extensively, visiting Germany, Poland,
and Russia, and meeting with great success. The Empress Catharine
endeavoured to induce him to remain at St. Petersburg, but without
success, and he proceeded to London, where he soon eclipsed all other
violinists. In 1782 he went to Paris and made his début at the
celebrated Concert Spirituels. He was at once acknowledged as the
greatest living violinist, but soon after this he ceased altogether to
play in public. This decision seems to have been caused by the fact that
an inferior player once achieved a greater success than he. He was
evidently of a sensitive nature, and there is an anecdote told of him
which is amusing even if its authenticity is open to question. Viotti
was commanded to play a concerto at the Court of Louis XVI., at
Versailles, and had proceeded through about half of his performance,
when the attention of the audience was diverted by the arrival of a
distinguished guest. Noise and confusion reigned where silence should
have been observed, and Viotti, in a fit of indignation, removed the
music from the desk and left the platform.

In 1783 Viotti returned to Italy for a short time, but the following
year he was back in Paris teaching, composing, and benefiting the art of
music in every way except by public performance. He became the artistic
manager of the Italian Opera, and brought together a brilliant number of
singers. In this business he came in contact with Cherubini, the
composer, with whom he was on great terms of friendship. This
enterprise was suddenly stopped by the revolution, and Viotti was
obliged to leave France, having lost almost everything that he