And you thought Robert Johnson was the first musician to be associated with the devil... The Faustian myth of the musician selling his soul to become an amazing virtuoso was already part of Niccolo Paganini’s mystique. The nineteenth century Italian violin master had such an unprecedented technique that he was refused a christian burial on the grounds of witchery. Not only did he perform but he also wrote many pieces that remain extremely challenging to this day such as his Caprices.