Release Date: 12 January 1999
Label: Naxos - Nxc / Naxos Classics
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 730099457125
Genres: Classical
Composer/Series: BOCCHERINI
Description
Luigi Boccherini was born in Tuscany in1743, in the beautiful old walled town of Lucca and died in Madrid in 1805. Hiswas a cultured family. His elder brother Giovanni Gastone, distinguished as adancer and choreographer, was also a poet and wrote opera libretti for Salieri,among others, and the text of Joseph Haydn's oratorio II ritorno di Tobia. Hissister, a dancer in Vienna, married Onorato Vigan?? and was the mother of thefamous dancer and choreographer Salvatore Vigan??. His father was a professionaldouble bass player and Luigi Boccherini himself made his debut as a cellist atthe age of thirteen. In 1757 he went to study in Rome but had only been there afew months when both he and his father were summoned to Vienna to play in thecourt orchestra. Although barely fifteen years old, his performance apparentlymade a deep impression on the Viennese musical establishment, which suggeststhat this reportedly very amiable and affable young virtuoso had plenty ofopportunity to shine 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 violinist FilipoManfredi, reaching Paris in 1767. Here he had some of his works published andappeared with Manfredi at the Concerts spirituels, among otherengagements. It was seemingly in 1768 that Boccherini and Manfredi travelled toMadrid, very probably with the promise of enthusiastic patronage from theSpanish court. Boccherini's principal patron was the Spanish Infante Don Luisfor 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, with a concertante first cello part.Boccherini followed the Infante Don Luisto Avila, after the latter's marriage earned official disapproval, but afterthe death of the Infante in 1785 he was granted a pension of half his salary bythe King. In 1786 he was appointed chamber composer to the heir to the Prussianthrone, an enthusiastic amateur cellist, who in the following year succeededhis uncle as Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia. There is no record, however, ofany visit by Boccherini to the court in Berlin. He sought a renewal of hisappointment in 1798, after the death of the king, but this was not granted.According to later members of his family Boccherini was offered a teachingposition at the new Conservatoire in Paris, where his music enjoyedconsiderable esteem, but graciously declined the offer. In Madrid, however, hehad for some years enjoyed the support of private patrons and was employed bythe French ambassador to Spain, Lucien Bonaparte, who reached Madrid late in1800.Throughout his life Bocc
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
