Giuseppe Torelli

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Giuseppe Torelli.

Giuseppe Torelli (April 22, 1658 - February 8, 1709) was an Italian violist and violinist, pedagogue and composer, who ranks with Arcangelo Corelli among the developers of the Baroque concerto and concerto grosso.

He was the brother of Felice Torelli, a painter with a modest reputation, and is most remembered for his contributions to the development of the instrumental concerto, especially concerti grossi and the solo concerto, for strings and continuo, as well as the most prolific Baroque composer for trumpets,.

Regarded by many as one of the greatest Italian composers and violinists ever, Torelli was born in Verona. He was a pupil of Giacomo Antonio Perti in Bologna. On June 27, 1684, at the age of 26, he became a member of the Accademia Filarmonica as suonatore di violino. He directed the capella at the cathedral (San Petronio) of Bologna, 1686 - 1695. He was maestro di concerto to the court of Georg Friedrich II, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach in 1698-99 where he presented an oratorio (December 1699) before returning again to Bologna (1701) to become a violinist in the cappella musicale at San Petronio. The brief, rather formal concerto for four violins demanded disciplined control and intonation from its four soloists.

He died in Bologna in 1709, where his manuscripts are conserved in the San Petronio archives.

The most notable amongst his many pupils was Francesco Manfredini.

[edit] Selected works

10 Sonate a 3, with Basso Continuo, op. 1. (1686)
12 Concertino per camera for Violin and Cello, op. 4. (1688)
12 Concerti musicali a quattro, op. 6. (1698)
12 Concerti grossi con una pastorale per il Santissimo Natale, op. 8. (1709)
More than 30 concertos for 1 to 4 trumpets.
Sinfonia à 4, unpublished during his lifetime, possibly the first symphony, which needs four oboes, four trumpets, bassoon, trombone, timpani, violins, viola, cello, and 2 organs