Luigi Boccherini

Luigi Boccherini is a Violoncelliste and Compositeur Italy N born with Lucques, close to Pisa in Toscane, the February 19th 1743, died in Madrid the May 28th 1805.

Biography

Formation

Luigi comes from a family of artists. His/her father, Leopoldo, are singer and an excellent double bass player, employed in the municipal orchestra. His/her brother Giovanni Gastone is the librettist of several operas of Antonio Salieri and Joseph Haydn and his sister Ballerine.

Luigi, very precociously, watch much of interest for the music and particularly for the Violoncello. His/her father gives him his first lessons, but astonished by the aptitudes by the child, it entrusts it to the choirmaster of the cathedral San Martino de Lucques, the abbot Domenico Vanussi. He gives its first concert to the thirteen years age, which is worth to him to receive a grant.

In 1757, it is sent to Rome near a type-setter celebrates at the time, Costanzi. It is familiarized with the work of Palestrina and of Allegri whose Miserere celebrates it will make very strong impression on the young man. Boccherini is the largest violoncellist of its time, he equalizes in virtuosity, on its instrument, the largest contemporary violonists.

After having finished its studies with Saint-Pierre of Rome, it follows his father who obtained a station for him and his son to the orchestra of the imperial court of Austria to Vienna. Boccherini turns over to Lucques only in 1764. This year there, Luigi leaves Vienna for its birthplace, preferring the place of violoncellist to the palatine vault of Lucques.

France

In front of the relative failure of his career and thin remuneration, the violoncellist leaves his native Tuscany for a round in concert in France with the string quartet which it created since 1764, exceptional thing at the time. The formation is made up pupils of Tartini, the violonists Filippino Manfredi (1738-1780) and Pietro Nardini (1722-1793) as well as the altist, also type-setter, Giuseppe Maria Cambini (1746-1825). The repertory is composed of works of Haydn, Boccherini and some type-setters in vogue. Between 1764 and 1768, it composes two oratorios Giuseppe Riconoscuito and Gioas, Re di Guidea.

In 1767 he undertakes a round with Manfredi in Italy of North, in Vienna then finally in Paris. Following the Quarrel of Gluckistes and Piccinistes, the Italians are welcome there. He can publish some quartets opus 1 and trios opus 2. Boccherini and Manfredi present their works to the Concert of sacred music. The fame of Boccherini extends and this voyage will decide future of the musician.

Spain

The Ambassador from Spain to Paris, having heard it with the Concert of sacred music manages to convince Boccherini and Manfredi to go to Madrid in their making gleam a stable place under the protection and thanks to the patronage of Gift Shine, brother of the king of Spain, Charles III. This proposal can appear strange because the King does not like the music. He settles in Spain at the end of 1768, old of twenty-six years, not to leave this country never again. The situation is not as brilliant indeed as they could have hoped for it. Many Italian musicians exert in Madrid and jalousent the type-setter, in particular Corsetti, Confort and especially Brunetti. Moreover, only the authors of operas can hope for glory what is not its case.

It is only on November 8th, 1770 that Infant Don Shine will engage Boccherini like violoncellist of his Room and type-setter of music . It composes a first series of twelve Quintette S with cords with two violoncellos (it did not produce any less than 114), form which it strongly contributed to develop. It is supposed that the visit in Madrid of the violoncellist virtuoso Jean-Pierre Duport (1741-1818), with whom it occurred, supported the birth of the kind. Consequently, it becomes very fertile and product of many parts of chamber music which still increase its prestige. The famous quartets opus 15 give him a European fame.

It is as of 1771 as date celebrates it Menuet extracted the Quintette opus 11 n° 5 into semi major (G. 275). Does Yves Gerard specify that work however passed unperceived at the time and that it is as from 1865 in France that spread fascination for this extract in the world, symbolizing the work of the type-setter however very little played, evoking an out of date and disappeared world?

Insulation

In 1776, the marriage morganatic of Infant Don Shine involves the rejection of the two musicians of the court and their exile with Las Arenas of San Pedro, small town of Ávila, with hundred thirty-five kilometers of Madrid. Its production feels some. Nevertheless, it composes at that time remarkable the Stabat MATER , ordered work at the end of 1781 per Don Shine and intended for a soloist with accompaniment of a string quintet with two violoncellos.

Its insulation was so total that Joseph Haydn was unable to make an epistolary contact with his/her colleague musician.

Return to Madrid

In August 1785, it loses its guard, then his wife Clementina, a professional singer. Charles III grants a pension and in January of the following year to him, it manages to still put at the service Frederic Guillaume II Crown prince to Prussia, which names it, remotely, type-setter of the room . At the beginning of 1786, it also will be employed with the service of the Benavente-Osuna Countess who maintains a small orchestra. Boccherini is the leader and director in the concerts. The Countess amongst other things orders to him her single opera Zarzuela entitled the clementina , on a booklet of Ramón of Cruz (1731-1794), kind of Metastase Spanish.

At that time, he attends the painter Goya who belongs to the men of letters and artists which revolve around the palate of Puerta of Vega, at Benacente-Osuna. It is of this time which the great symphonies opus 37 date.

But, for unknown reasons, it leaves this station suddenly and loses, with dead of Guillaume in 1797, the pension that does not renew his/her son and successor. Cut down and desilvered, Boccherini tries to sell some works to the Parisian editors, Vénier, Chevardière, Imbault, Sieber and finally Ignaz Pleyel, which will misuse the difficult situation of the type-setter.

To summer 1799, via Marie-Joseph Chénier (author of the Song of the departure put in music by Méhul), it dedicates to the French nation a group of Six quintets with piano opus 57 . In the letter of July 8th to the poet, he writes these splendid words which are to some extent a profession of faith able to describe all its music:

I know well that the music is made to speak in the middle of the man; and it is with what I endeavor to arrive, if I it then: the private music of feeling and passions is unimportant; from where it results that the type-setter does not obtain anything without the executants.

Having declined the invitation to take part in the creation of the Academy of Paris, Boccherini obtains all the same in 1800 a load remunerated thanks to the French ambassador in Madrid, Lucien Bonaparte, which is worth with this last the dedication of two series of quintets opus 60 and opus 62.
A succession of family misfortunes (death of several children, of its second wife) reduce it. It falls into a state from extreme poverty, badly placed, it dies in Madrid of the continuations of a lung disease on May 28th, 1805.

Its music is of such a beauty that J.B Cartier, at the end of the XVIIIe century wrote very finely:

If God wanted to speak with the man in music it would do it with works of Haydn, but if it wished Itself to listen to music, it would choose Boccherini.

Works

Luigi Boccherini is especially known for its Chamber music, in particular for its many Quintette S with cords (nearly 125 parts). It largest of its work, is indeed supported by the fifteen years distance of the capital. Its symphonic work, although abundant, remains little played. One of its Concerto S for violoncello (in major B flat) remained known by a transcription very edulcorated Friedrich Grützmacher (1832-1903), as well as the famous Menuet S.

In 1969, the musicologist Yves Gerard published a complete catalog of works of the type-setter: Thematic, Bibliographical and Critical Catalogs off the Works off Luigi Boccherini , Oxford University Press, 1969. Here is essence:

Sonatas for violoncello solo and BC: G 1-19 (second versions, G 2b & G 4b), G 562-569 (G 565b), & G 579-580
Sonatas for two violoncellos: G 74, G 571, & G 572
Six runnings away for two violoncellos (or two bassoons), G 73
Trios with cords: G 77-142, violin, viola & violoncello
Sonatas in trios: G 143-148, harpsichord (or piano), violin & violoncello
Sonatas in trios (arr. by Pleyel): G 149-151
Piano Trios (arr. of the Marquis de Louvois): G 152, G 153
String quartets: G 159-258
Quintets G 265-378, two violins, viola & two violoncellos
Quintets G 379-406, two violins, two violas & violoncello
Quintets G 407-418, piano, two violins, viola & violoncello
Quintets G 445-453, guitar, two violins, viola & violoncello
Sextets G 454-460, two violins, two violas & two violoncellos
Sextets G 461-466, flute, two violins, viola & two violoncellos
Concertos for violoncello G 474-484, G 573
21 Symphonies
Mass G 528
Stabat MATER G 532
Cantatas: G 535, G 536, & G 543
2 Oratorios: G 537, G 538;
Opera Clementina

Summary discography

symphonic Musique

Sinfonie has large orchestrated COp 37 (1786/87) - Academia Montis Regalis, Dir. Luigi Mangiocavallo (1996, Opus 111 OPS 30-168)
Fandango, Sinfonia & Musica Notturna of Madrid - the Concert of the Nations, Dir. Jordi Savall (2005, Alia Vox AV 9845)
Symphonies COp 7 & 10,12,21,35,37 & 41,42 & 45 - Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss, Dir. Johannes Goritzki (1991/93, 8CD CPO 999.084-2 & 999.172 to 178-2)

Concertos

Concertos for violoncello, Openings, Octuor & Sinfonia - Ass Bylsma, Tafelmusik, Dir. Jeanne Lamon (1993, Sony KS 53.121)
Concertos for violoncello G 477,478,479 & 480 - Ivan Monighetti (violoncello, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin (1993, Berlin Classics 0010562BC)

Chamber music

String quartets COp 58 - The Revolutionary Drawing Room (1992, 2CD CPO 999.070-2
Quintets with piano COp 56 - Quartet Mosaics, Patrick Cohen, pianoforte (1992, Astrée E 8518)
Quintets with piano COp 57 - Quartet Mosaics, Patrick Cohen, pianoforte (1990, Astrée E 8721)
Quintet with flute - Jean-Pierre Rampal, R. Pasquier, B. Pasquier, R. Pidoux, Mr. Sterna (196, Sony SK 62.679)
String quintets with two violoncellos, COp 45 n° 4, COp 46 n° 4 & COp11 n° 6 Uccelleria - Europa Gallant, Dir. Fabio Biondi (1993, Opus 111 OPS 30-82)
String quintets with two violoncellos, COp 25 n° 1,4 & 6 and extracted COp 11 n° 5 Minuet - Europa Gallant, Dir. Fabio Biondi (2001, Virgin 5 45421 2)

Works with voice

Stabat MATER - Agnes Melon (soprano), Together 415, Dir. Chiara Banchini (1992, Harmonia Mundi HM 901378)

With the cinema

the famous Menuet , extracted Quintet COp 11 n° 5 appears in Tueurs of ladies : The Ladykillers, a film of Alexander Mackendrick carried out in 1955, with Peter Sellers, Alec Guinness, Katie Johnson and Herbert Lom.
Its famous Musica Notturna delle Strade di Madrid , COp 30 n° 6, is played in the film Master and to order Peter Weir (2003).

External bonds

Article of Emilio Moreno published in Goldberg n° 33 p. 14-23
complete Gerard Catalog

Notes & references

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