Francesco Geminiani in 1735, aged forty-eight. He was by now a star of European classical music, and had opened a concert-room in Spring Gardens in London. Downstairs he maintained a picture gallery, fine art being a hobby of his. Unfortunately, it kept landing him in financial trouble, and his pupil William Capell, Earl of Essex, once had to bail him out of debtor’s prison.
Introduction
Francesco Geminiani (1687-1762) was overshadowed in the country of his birth by Antonio Vivaldi, and in his adopted nation by George Frideric Handel. He deserves recognition, though, both as a brilliant violinist who challenged his fellow performers to surpass themselves, and as a composer of high merit in his own right.
‘THE intention of musick’, wrote Francesco Geminiani in 1751, ‘is not only to please the ear, but to express sentiments, strike the imagination, affect the mind, and command the passions’. He had spent the last thirty-seven years doing just that, delighting audiences from London to Dublin and the near Continent.
Born in Lucca, Geminiani moved to London in 1714, aged twenty-seven. He was instantly recognised as one of the finest violinists of his generation, and a credit to his illustrious teacher, Arcangelo Corelli. Two years later, he gave a command performance for King George I, with Handel at the keyboard, and subsequently travelled Europe and the British Isles playing his own expertly crafted compositions with a blend of breathtaking technique and tender, yearning pathos.
Pupils included nobility, and fellow professionals such as Charles Avison, leading light of a lively music scene in Newcastle-upon-Tyne; many more pored over his treatises on performance and musical taste. Francesco died during a stay in Ireland in 1762, aged seventy-four.
Related Video
Geminiani’s Violin Sonatas Op. 1 and Op. 4 are among his
most technically challenging; in his own day, he was one of the few good enough to perform
them. The Largo from his D Major Sonata is played here by Liana Mosca, with
Antonio Mosca (cello), Luca Pianca (archlute), and Giorgio Paronuzzi (harpsichord).
Media not showing? Let me know!
Précis
Francesco Geminiani was a virtusoso violinist of Italian birth, who settled in Britain in 1714 and, apart from extensive travels on the continent as a performer, remained there until his death in 1762. He was not only a brilliant player, but a highly-regarded composer, a popular teacher, and an accomplished writer on musical performance and taste. (56 / 60 words)
Francesco Geminiani was a virtusoso violinist of Italian birth, who settled in Britain in 1714 and, apart from extensive travels on the continent as a performer, remained there until his death in 1762. He was not only a brilliant player, but a highly-regarded composer, a popular teacher, and an accomplished writer on musical performance and taste.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, besides, if, may, ought, since, unless, whereas.
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Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 I. Lively. Taste.
2 Intention. Own. Passion.
3 Die. Four. Isle.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
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