“My heart, which is so full to overflowing, has often been solaced and refreshed by music when sick and weary.” - Martin Luther
Francesco Venturini (born ?Brussels, c1675; died Hanover, 18 April 1745), was a German composer and violinist. He served at the Hanoverian court, becoming Konzertmeister in 1713 and later Kapellmeister. His 12 orchestral “sonatas” (c1714) are richly scored; each has a substantial first movement and a series of shorter movements, mostly dances, conforming to the form of a Baroque “suite”.
Venturini’s music possesses all the qualities needed to captivate the listener. By turns nimble and dramatic, cheerful and serious, it invariably displays great refinement. Perfectly synthesising the different musical movements of the time, the composer devotes his subtle art to a quest for expressiveness, yet without losing any of his spontaneity. The rediscovery of his “Concerti da Camera Op.1” is most certainly a significant event for our knowledge of the early eighteenth-century orchestral repertory.
Here is a selection, played by La Cetra, directed by violinist David Plantier:
Francesco Venturini (born ?Brussels, c1675; died Hanover, 18 April 1745), was a German composer and violinist. He served at the Hanoverian court, becoming Konzertmeister in 1713 and later Kapellmeister. His 12 orchestral “sonatas” (c1714) are richly scored; each has a substantial first movement and a series of shorter movements, mostly dances, conforming to the form of a Baroque “suite”.
Venturini’s music possesses all the qualities needed to captivate the listener. By turns nimble and dramatic, cheerful and serious, it invariably displays great refinement. Perfectly synthesising the different musical movements of the time, the composer devotes his subtle art to a quest for expressiveness, yet without losing any of his spontaneity. The rediscovery of his “Concerti da Camera Op.1” is most certainly a significant event for our knowledge of the early eighteenth-century orchestral repertory.
Here is a selection, played by La Cetra, directed by violinist David Plantier:
- Sonata IX in G minor
- Sonata II in A minor
- Sonata VI in E major
- Sonata V in A minor
- Sonata VIII in A major.
Absolutely delightful music. Had never heard of this composer. Is much of his other music available?
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