Francesco Barsanti

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Francesco Barsanti (1690 - 1772) was an Italian flautist, oboist and composer.

Francesco Barsanti was born in the Tuscan city of Lucca in 1690—a city vastly venerated for its prominence in musical culture; boasting notable denizens such as Francesco Geminiani, Gioseffo Guami, Luigi Boccherini, Giacomo Puccini and Alfredo Catalani. In 1708, Barsanti ventured to Padova where he had initially intended to pursue an education in the field of science. Although, after keenly observing several concerts held at the university, Barsanti embarked on his musical ingression fortwith—focusing chiefly on the art of the flute and the oboe.

In 1714, Barsanti parted from his native city of Lucca and began to reside in the city of London in search of occupation amidst their notable orchestras and theatres.

Notwithstanding the stark scarcity of Barsanti's Italianate endeavours, those that did subsist were, without doubt, quite lucrative nonetheless. In 1717 (and once again in 1718) Barsanti returned to his native city of Lucca and fulfilled the position of oboist during the annual Santa Croce holy festival's liturgical services—a festival organised by the opulent Luccan governors with the intention of sustaining the city's musical merit.

Aside from Barsanti's several Luccan sojourns, he spent many a prosperous year at London as a noted flutist and oboist. Although, in 1735, he eventually parted from the city which bestowed such grand prosperity upon him, and thenceforth ventured northward to Scotland where he would betroth a native of genteel parentage. And, with the financial avail of the Scottish aristocracy, Barsanti soon published a modest repertoire between the years of 1742 and 1743.

Although, despite his compositional productivity in Scotland, Barsanti eventually returned to his beloved city of London—though at the time, as a viola player. Then, after nearly a decade of occupation amid divers London orchestras, Barsanti suddenly perished during a hapless juncture of his life defined by impoverishment and despondence.

[edit] Works

6 Sonatas for Recorder and Continuo Op. 1
6 Sonatas for Flute and Continuo Op. 2
10 Concerto Grosso Op. 3

[edit] References

Richard Griscom & David Lasocki (2003) Routledge Music Bibliographies: The Recorder: A Research and Information Guide, 2nd ed. New York: Routledge ISBN 0-4159-3744-2