Francesco Geminiani II Masters Of Classical Music

Geminiani was an important and influential Italian violinist, composer, and theorist. During his life, he was overshadowed by Handel and Vivaldi, and he is still relatively obscure today in spite of the great originality and beauty of his compositions and his considerable place in music history&march. Geminiani, a student of Corelli, expanded the art of violin playing to a level previously thought unattainable. Many of the techniques he introduced or developed are now part of the standard technique of the violinist. Likewise, his practical treatises on music inspired numerous successors. The most important one, The Art of Playing on the Violin (1751), was the first instruction manual addressed to advanced players from a professional viewpoint, as opposed to a primer for beginners. His The Art of Accompaniment on the Harpsichord is likewise unique for its point of view, being framed from the soloist&perspective rather than the accompanist&Geminiani published a number of other treatises on harmony, guitar playing, and further aspects of violin playing. As a composer, Geminiani accomplished little in the way of structural innovation. Mostly, he followed Corelli&models in his numerous sonatas and concertos, but his music is generally richer, harmonically somewhat more complex, and substantially more difficult to play than that of his former teacher, with a certain free and creative flair. The underestimation of his influence was not just a result of the Romantic eclipse of all...