Sonate a violino e basso - Geminiani, Francesco 1687-1762 (London Welcker Johnson, 1739)
Francesco Geminiani (1687-1762) was an Italian composer, violinist, teacher, writer on musical performance, and a leading figure in early 18th-century music.
Geminiani studied under Corelli. He established his reputation as a brilliant performer in England, publishing (1716) his Opus 1 sonatas for violin and continuo (see 07D13), which were famous for their technical difficulty and were widely acclaimed as equal to Corelli’s. His other popular works include concerti grossi, of which his Opus 2 (see 07D14) and Opus 3 (see 07D16) sets became extremely popular in England, holding a place in the repertory well into the next century. His theoretical writings, particularly The Art of Playing on the Violin (1751), had considerable influence, and the latter work remains an important reference on the performance of late Baroque music.
Keywords: 18th Century (1701-1800); Instrumental music; Sonata; Violin; Basso continuo; London (United Kingdom)