Giovanni Battista Somis

Giovanni Battista Somis (Turin, December 25th 1686 - August 14th 1763) was a Violoniste and type-setter Italy N.

It is resulting from a family of musicians to the service of the dukes of Savoy and accepted its first musical teaching of his father Francesco Lorenzo (1663-1736), like his young brother Giovanni Lorenzo. It then left to improve near Corelli with Rome (1703 to 1706) and probably of Vivaldi to Venice. Returned in Turin, all its career proceeded as a violonist of the Ducal Vault.

As a violonist, it is at the origin of the French school of violin, having had for pupils Jean-Marie Leclair, Louis-Gabriel Guillemain and Jean-Pierre Guignon attracted by his international repute. Among his Italian pupils, one can quote the professor of Viotti, Gaetano Pugnani.

Its relative sedentariness was not an obstacle with its recognition; this one was international thanks to its many pupils, of which the French. He was accommodated with the Concert of sacred music of Paris in 1733 (April 2nd and May 14th), violonistic performance that the Mercure de France rented like l'" ultimate perfection". Concerts which contributed to make it pass to the posterity like having the most fabulous blow of bow of Europe.

Some Italians also appear among the pupils of Somis of which Gaetano Pugnani, which will be itself later professor de Viotti. The teaching of Somis caused to transport the Roman tradition of Corelli towards the North of Italy and Piedmont, and to reach a fame which it could not reach as a type-setter; and this in spite of its 150 concertos and its sonatas (sonata da camera) and a style often close to that of Leclair.

Its fame as type-setter was less, in spite of the importance of its production: approximately 150 concertos for violin, lost for the majority. More than 80 sonatas and trios were published:

Opus 1 - 12 sonatas of room for violin and low (1717 Amsterdam)
Opus 2 continues - 12 sonatas of room for violin and low continues (1723 Turin)
Opus 3 - 12 sonatas of room for violin and low continues (1725 Turin)
Opus 4 - 12 sonatas of room for violin and low (1726 Paris)
Opus continues 5 - 6 sonatas in trio for two violins and low continues (1733 Paris)
Opus 6 - 12 sonatas of room for violin and low (1734 Paris)
Opus 7 continues - " Ideali trattimenti da camera" for two violins, two flutes or viols (1750 Paris)
Opus 8 - 6 sonatas in trio

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