Karla Bocaz Muñoz, baroque violin
Domenico Cerasani, lute and baroque guitar
Susanna Piolanti, harpsichord
Music by F. Geminiani (1687-1762), G. F. Haendel (1685-1759), F. Corbetta (1615 ca.-1681),
P. Castrucci (1679-1751), F. M. Veracini (1690-1768).
The rich musical panorama of London, which had become one of the main cultural centers of Europe during the first half of the eighteenth century, was fertile ground for foreign musicians, especially Italian violinists, who found there plenty of opportunities to prove themselves both in the field of performance, composition, and publication of their own music. This was made possible by the long-lasting success of Arcangelo Corelli’s music in British territory. Between the 17th and 18th centuries, he had established himself as the most influential Italian violinist and composer, and his compositions had become the benchmark for Italian instrumental music.
During the first decades of the eighteenth century, England saw the arrival of many Italian violinists who flaunted their relationship with their master: having studied with Corelli automatically provided a superior status and represented a guarantee of success. Among the first to make use of these favorable conditions, we find less well-known names such as that of Gasparo Visconti, native of Cremona, known as Gasperini who arrived in 1702, or that of the Roman violinist Nicola Cosimi active in London between 1701 and 1705. The case of the arrival in England of two of the foremost violinists from Italy, namely Francesco Geminiani and Francesco Maria Veracini, is significantly more emblematic. Both arriving in 1714, their intense musical activity was decisive for the progress of Italian violinism and, according to the testimonies of Charles Burney, they confirmed the sovereignty of the violin in the theaters and concerts of the London musical scene. Another violinist who followed the path already taken by his compatriots was Pietro Castrucci, who arrived in London from Rome in 1715. In addition to his solo activities and composing music, he achieved the position of first violin in the orchestra of the opera house under the direction of Georg Friedrich Handel, where he served for a period of twenty years.
Not only Italian violinists served as ambassadors of their own musical heritage, but it was also the case of G. F. Handel, who absorbed the taste and spirit of Italian music during his stay in Italy between 1706 and 1710. He was one of the main heirs of the Corellian violin school through his instrumental and chamber works, particularly his violin repertoire
In conclusion, this generation of musicians had a noteworthy impact on the musical scene in London. Their arrival in the first half of the eighteenth century significantly influenced the development of music on a performance, compositional, and didactic level, elevating the artistic level of the London music scene and significantly influencing the evolution of the violin repertoire in England. The proposed program provides an overview of a very significant repertoire in the musical life of the British capital.
