Elisabetta de Gambarini, the composer of these keyboard works, was born in London in 1731 to an Italian opera singer mother and a father who was a Counselor to Frederick I of Sweden.
Compositional Technique
Gambarini's compositions are exceptional for their clear and graceful melodic lines and effective, complementary bass lines, features likely informed by her training as a professional singer.
Interpretation
The performance on this recording incorporates improvisation, embellishment, and ornamentation, which were standard performance practices for keyboard instruments throughout much of the 18th century.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Gambarini's keyboard works, titled 'Lessons', do not refer to instructional material but rather to collections of dance movements gathered into suites or sonatas, a common 18th-century English musical term.
Composition History
Elisabetta de Gambarini's Opp. 1 and 2, published in 1748, are significant as the very first keyboard music composed by a woman to be published in England.
Interpretation
This album performs Gambarini's harpsichord sonatas on a modern Steinway Model D Concert Grand piano to make them accessible to contemporary listeners, leveraging the piano's dynamic and tonal ranges.
Composer Biography
Elisabetta de Gambarini was a noted protégée of George Frideric Handel, having sung lead roles in his oratorios and operas, and was also a student of Francesco Geminiani, a respected composer and violinist.
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