Release Date: 12 January 1999
Label: Naxos - Nxc / Naxos Classics
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 730099457224
Genres: Classical
Composer/Series: BOCCHERINI
Description
Luigi Boccherini was born in Tuscany, inthe beautiful old walled town of Lucca, to a cultured family. His elder brotherGiovanni Gastone, distinguished as a dancer and choreographer, was also a poetand wrote opera libretti for Salieri, among others, and the text of JosephHaydn's oratorio Il ritorno di Tobia. His sister, a dancer in Vienna,married Onorato Vigano and was the mother of the famous dancer andchoreographer Salvatore Vigano. His father was a professional double bassplayer and Luigi Boccherini himself made his debut as a cellist at the age ofthirteen. In 1757 he went to study in Rome but had only been there a few monthswhen both he and his father were summoned to Vienna to play in the courtorchestra. Although barely fifteen years old, his performance apparently made adeep impression on the Viennese musical establishment, which suggests that thisreportedly very amiable and affable young virtuoso had plenty of opportunity toshine as a soloist in concertos and in chamber music.From this time onwards Boccherini's lifewas a very busy one and involved much travelling. He returned to Lucca onvarious occasions, finally, in 1764, taking up a position in the musicalestablishment and retaining his connection there for the following three years.In 1766 he embarked on an extended concert tour with the Lucca violinistFilippo Manfredi, reaching Paris in 1767. Here he had some of his workspublished and appeared with Manfredi at the Concerts spirituels, amongother engagements. It was seemingly in 1768 that Boccherini and Manfreditravelled to Madrid, probably with the promise of enthusiastic patronage fromthe Spanish court. Boccherini's principal patron was the Spanish Infante DonLuis for whom he wrote many new works. In the circumstances in which he foundhimself he was able to continue his particular interest in chamber music, asshown in his first Paris publications, embarking on his famous series of stringquintets. Boccherini followed the Infante Don Luis to Avila and after thelatter's death was granted a pension of half his salary by the King. In 1786 hewas appointed chamber composer to the heir to the Prussian throne, anenthusiastic amateur cellist, who in the following year succeeded his uncle asFriedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia. There is no record. However, of any visit byBoccherini to the court in Berlin. He sought a renewal of his appointment in1798, after the death of the king, but this was not granted. According to latermembers of his family Boccherini was offered a teaching position at the newConservatoire in Paris, where his music enjoyed considerable esteem, butgraciously declined the offer. In Madrid, however, he had for some yearsenjoyed the support of private patrons and was employed by the Frenchambassador to Spain. Lucien Bonaparte, who reached Madrid late in 1800.Throughout his life Boccheriui pursuedhis concert career with enormous energy and at the same time wrote a quiteunbelievable amount of music. In his last years, no longer playing
Tracklisting
Dariia Lytvishko
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Marin Alsop
Alice Di Piazza; Basel Sinfonietta; NDR Bigband; Titus Engel
Anna Alas i Jove; Miquel Villalba
David Childs; Black Dyke Band; Nicholas Childs
Various
Various
Lully
