Giuseppe Torelli facts for kids
Giuseppe Torelli (born April 22, 1658, in Verona – died February 8, 1709, in Bologna) was an Italian musician and composer. He lived during the middle Baroque era, a time when music was becoming more complex and expressive. Torelli played the viola and violin, taught music, and wrote many pieces.
He is best known for helping to create the instrumental concerto. A concerto is a piece of music where one or more solo instruments play along with a larger orchestra. Torelli wrote many concertos for strings, like violins and cellos. He also wrote more music for trumpets than almost any other Baroque composer.
Contents
Torelli's Early Life and Career
Giuseppe Torelli was born in Verona, Italy. It's not certain who taught him to play the violin. However, we know he studied how to compose music with a teacher named Giacomo Antonio Perti.
When he was 26, on June 27, 1684, Torelli became a member of the Accademia Filarmonica in Bologna. This was a famous music academy. He joined as a violin player. In 1686, he started working as a viola player at the San Petronio basilica. He stayed there until 1695 or early 1696. The orchestra at San Petronio had to stop playing for a while because of money problems.
In 1698, Torelli became a maestro di concerto (music director) at the court of Georg Friedrich II, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach. He led the orchestra there for a special musical play. He then traveled to Vienna in December 1699.
Returning to Bologna and Later Years
Torelli came back to Bologna before February 1701. He was listed as a violinist in the San Petronio orchestra, which had started up again. His old composition teacher, Perti, was now leading this orchestra.
Giuseppe Torelli passed away in Bologna on February 8, 1709, when he was 50 years old. Many of his original music papers are kept safe in the San Petronio archives.
Giuseppe had a brother named Felice Torelli, who was a painter in Bologna. Felice was one of the people who helped start the Accademia Clementina, another important art academy. One of Giuseppe Torelli's most famous students was Francesco Manfredini.
Important Musical Works
Giuseppe Torelli wrote many different types of musical pieces. Here are some of his well-known collections:
- 10 Sonate a 3, Op. 1 (1686): These are sonatas for three instruments, usually two violins and a bass instrument.
- 12 Concerto da camera, Op. 2 (1686): These are chamber concertos for two violins and a bass instrument.
- 12 Sinfonie, Op. 3 (1687): These are symphonies for two to four instruments.
- 12 Concertino per camera, Op. 4 (1688): Small concertos for violin and cello.
- 12 Sinfonie a 3 e concerti a 4, Op. 5 (1692): Symphonies for three instruments and concertos for four.
- 12 Concerti musicali a quattro, Op. 6 (1698): Musical concertos for four instruments.
- 12 Concerti grossi con una pastorale per il Santissimo Natale, Op. 8 (1709): These are concerti grossi, where a small group of soloists plays against a larger orchestra. This collection includes a special Christmas piece.
- He also wrote more than 30 concertos for one to four trumpets. One of these, a Sinfonia à 4, was written after 1702 but not published until after he died. It's a huge piece for four trumpets and a very large orchestra!
Selected Recordings
- Cantata "Lumi dolenti lumi" on Agitata Delphine Galou, Accademia Bizantina, Ottavio Dantone, Alpha. 2017
See also
In Spanish: Giuseppe Torelli para niños
