Geminiani: The Art of Playing on the Violin

Featuring

Gottfried von der Goltz
Annekatrin Beller
Torsten Johann
Thomas C. Boysen
Francesco Geminiani

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Compositional Technique

Geminiani's pedagogical works, unlike those of his contemporaries, contain very little text, consisting almost entirely of music, with 'taste' being the central concept.

Composer Biography

Geminiani was an unconventional figure who refused an offer from the Prince of Wales to preserve his artistic freedom, preferring to finance his life through art trade.

Critical Reception

Despite his fame during his lifetime, Geminiani's glory did not long outlive him, and a rediscovery of his work has only begun in the early 21st century.

Composition History

After 1747, Geminiani focused on publishing pedagogical works, including his well-known treatise, 'The Art of Playing on the Violin, Op. 9,' which offers insight into 18th-century Italian musical practice.

Composer Biography

Geminiani was described by his student Charles Avison as a genius in music, painting, and sculpture, and a brilliant conversationalist fluent in all European languages.

Composer's Artistic Vision

In the 18th century, a composer's written music was considered a structural framework, requiring the instrumentalist's art to bring it to life through embellishment and improvisation.

Composer Biography

Francesco Geminiani, a violin virtuoso, composer, music teacher, and art merchant, was considered by his contemporaries to be on par with Georg Friedrich Handel and Arcangelo Corelli.