ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses briefly a few musicians with whom Hans Christian Andersen came in contact during the early 1840s. Andersen's shift of interest, from the vocal virtuoso in the 1830s to the instrumental virtuoso in the 1840s, was a gradual process that left its mark on a number of his mature works. Christian's genius is accentuated by the presentation of its antithesis, mere virtuosic skill, in the character of the demonic grandfather, whose portrayal says much about how effectively the press could promulgate the image of a virtuoso like Paganim. Andersen first met Bull on 21 November 1838, Three days later he dined with the virtuoso and his wife and was again impressed by the musician's dynamic personality and dramatic performance style. As Andersen got to know Franz Liszt personally, the skepticism he once showed toward the virtuoso's public persona was replaced by a sympathetic appreciation for his personality and musical style.
