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Luigi Boccherini BioClassical Era Italian Cellist and Composer, Mostly, String Music
Brief biography of Classical period composer and cellist Luigi Boccherini, his life and works that influenced later prominent composers like Gluck, Haydn and Mozart.
In spite dominance of Mozart, Haydn, and others in Vienna, Italy also produced its own talented composers. Classical composer Boccherini (1743-1805) was one of them, his musical style and methods likened to Franz Joseph Haydn. Boccherini was one of the most important Italian representatives of the Viennese Classical style. Luigi Boccherini, Italian composer and cellist, came from a family of talented musicians and artists. He was born in Lucca on February 19, 1743, son of a cellist and bass-player. In his teens he was famous as a virtuoso cellist, having debuted at age 13. His father sent him to study in Rome with Maestro di Cappella, who later accompanied him to the Royal court in Vienna where he worked for a while. At age 23, he made an extensive concert tour, made his mark with a favourable reception mainly in Paris. Three years later, he went to Madrid and settled there, being first in the Spanish Court service of the king’s brother. The 18th Century Classical period was an era of technical virtuosity. What Baroque composer Corelli and other advocates have done for the violin, Boccherini did for the cello, with series of cello concerti. In 1787, he was appointed court composer to Frederick William II of Prussia although he maintained his residence in Madrid. After the king’s death, Luigi Boccherini returned to Madrid. He organized concerts and composed for Napoleon's brother Lucien Buonaparte. Unfortunately, Boccherini's last years were spent in increasing poverty, largely owing to inconsiderate treatment by his publishers, by issuing quartets of other composers under his popular name. An enormously prolific composer, Luigi Boccherini completed
His famous Minuet comes form his String Quintet in E major, Op.13, No.5, which was featured in the 1955 British film The Ladykillers. He died in Madrid in 1805, aged 62. Boccherini exploited the growing popularity of the Spanish guitar in terms of dance rhythms and elaborate Andalusian music that won admiration of Gluck, as well as Mozart and Haydn. Boccherini's Works:
Sources Consulted:Classical Music by John Stanley, Mitchell Beazley (1994) Dictionary of Composers and their Music by Eric Gilder, Sphere Reference (1985)
The copyright of the article Luigi Boccherini Bio in Classical Composers is owned by Tel Asiado. Permission to republish Luigi Boccherini Bio in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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