This month we are featuring the Italian baroque composer and violinist, Francesco Maria Veracini. Born in 1690 and living until 1768, Veracini came from a family of musicians and artists. Although hailing from Florence, Veracini spent much of his life playing all over Europe, including London, Prague, and Dresden. In 1722, Veracini tossed himself from a third story window, apparently in a fit of madness. This madness and eccentricity of Veracini is palpable in many of his works, as he pursued more progressive compositional styles.
While in Dresden, Veracini started using Overtures to introduce his sonatas, a practice which was unheard of in Italy up to that point. We’ll hear an example of that practice now in Veracini’s Sonata opus 1, number 1 in g minor. This performance is by Concitato.
(Veracini’s Sonata in g minor is in five movements: Overture-Allegro, Aria, Paesana, Menuet and Giga-Allegro)
Podcast produced by Joshua Sauvageau
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