| |
LUIGI BOCCHERINI (1743 - 1805)
|
|
| |
Luigi was born on February 19th 1743 in the Italian town of Lucca. He was the third son of Leopoldo
Boccherini, a skilled musicians with whom Luigi had his first lessons. He also had lessons with Lucca's 'maestro di capella',
Francesco Vanucci, before he at the age of fourteen was sent to Rome to study with the 'maestro di capella' of St.Peters,
Giovanni Battista Constanzi.
Late 1757, the highly musical Boccherinifamily moved to Vienna, where Luigi and his father joined the
orchestra of the Court Theatre.
In 1764, Boccherini was appointed first cellist in Count Palatine's orchestra in Lucca. Here he teamed
up with three other musicians and toured Northern Italy and France. In 1767 he ended up in Paris, where he spent a couple of years
before moving to Madrid in 1769.
Late 1770, Boccherini became 'virtuoso de camera e compositor de musica' to the Spanish Infante, Don
Luis. A very attractive arrangement lasting until 1785. He married in 1771, and enjoyed a happy, secure and productive period. But
in 1785 both Don Luis and his wife died.
In 1786 he was appointed Chamber Composer to Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Preussia And in 1787 he married
his second wife. He probably spent this last period of his life in Madrid, partly living on a generous pension from the royal
family, or at least for a while. He was under patronage of the wealthy Madrid-family, Benavente-Osuna. When they left for Paris in
1799, the French Ambassador Lucien Bonaparte took over as Patron.
Boccherini died in Madrid on May 28th 1805, having lost his second wife and three daughters.
|
|