Books and Journals
SKU: UT.APS-6
Edited by Christopher
Hogwood. Paperback (Soft
Cover). Ad Parnassum
Studies. Essays by
Gregory Barnett, Barra
Boydell, Enrico Careri,
Cheryll Duncan,
Christopher Hogwood,
Peter Holman, Clare
Hornsby, Mark Kroll,
Sandra Mangsen, Andrew
Pink, Rudolf Rasch, Robin
Stowell, Michael Talbot,
Wiebke Thormahlen, Peter
Walls, Neal Zaslaw.
Classical. Books and
Journals. 524 pages. Ut
Orpheus #APS 6. Published
by Ut Orpheus (UT.APS-6).
ISBN 9788881094790.
6.5 x 9.5
inches.
Essays
by Gregory Barnett, Barra
Boydell, Enrico Careri,
Cheryll Duncan,
Christopher Hogwood,
Peter Holman, Clare
Hornsby, Mark Kroll,
Sandra Mangsen, Andrew
Pink, Rudolf Rasch, Robin
Stowell, Michael Talbot,
Wiebke Thormahlen, Peter
Walls, Neal
Zaslaw
Sixteen
essays by international
scholars celebrate the
250th anniversary of
Francesco Geminiani
(1687-1762), star pupil
of Corelli and composer,
performer and teacher in
Paris, London and Dublin,
who for many years was
ranked as the equal of
Handel.
His
compositions moved far
beyond Corelli's model
(to include theatre
music, sonatas for cello
and keyboard works) and
later in his life he
supported his aesthetic
style with treatises on
violin and guitar
playing, good taste,
accompaniment and
composition. He published
all his output in the
most elegant style via
engravers and music
sellers in Paris,
Amsterdam and London, and
constantly revised and
rewrote earlier works in
new and often expanded
formats. This legacy is
analysed and placed in
context within the
various national styles
current in Europe, and
the enormous influence of
his treatise The Art
of Playing on the
Violin is positioned
in a continuum which
extends to Ivan
Galamian.
Outside
music these studies
examine the effect of
Freemasonry on
Geminiani's career, and
his frequent recourse to
law to defend his rights.
On his own admission,
Geminiani preferred
dealing in fine art to
playing the violin -- a
claim always derided by
earlier writers, but in
fact easily defended by
newly available evidence
of his highly successful
sales.
The reception
of Geminiani's music is
also re-assessed and his
apparent decline in
public favour is
explained; many new
sources contradict the
accepted and dismissive
opinions of Charles
Burney and John Hawkins,
and the supportive
enthusiasm of his main
British advocate, Charles
Avison, is given its
rightful position.
Questions of present-day
performance values are
also contrasted with
Geminiani's philosophy,
and many leads presented
for the future
investigation of this
enigmatic but individual
genius.
John Barnett
