Pietro Locatelli
Encyclopedia
Pietro Antonio Locatelli (3 September 1695 – 30 March 1764) was an Italian composer
and violin
ist.
, Italy. A child prodigy on the violin, he was sent to study in Rome
under the direction of Arcangelo Corelli
. Little is known of his subsequent activities except that he finally settled in Amsterdam
in 1729, where he died on 30 March 1764.
.
His most significant publication is probably L'arte del violino
, opus
3. Printed in Amsterdam in 1733, this was one of the most influential musical publications of the early eighteenth century. It is a collection of twelve concertos for solo violin, strings and basso continuo, with a 'capriccio' for unaccompanied violin inserted into the first and last movements of each concerto as a sort of cadenza.
Locatelli also wrote violin sonata
s, a cello sonata
, trio sonata
s, concerti grossi and a set of flute
sonatas (his opus 2). His early works show the influence of Arcangelo Corelli
, while later pieces are closer to Antonio Vivaldi
in style.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist.
Biography
Locatelli was born in BergamoBergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
, Italy. A child prodigy on the violin, he was sent to study in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
under the direction of Arcangelo Corelli
Arcangelo Corelli
Arcangelo Corelli was an Italian violinist and composer of Baroque music.-Biography:Corelli was born at Fusignano, in the current-day province of Ravenna, although at the time it was in the province of Ferrara. Little is known about his early life...
. Little is known of his subsequent activities except that he finally settled in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
in 1729, where he died on 30 March 1764.
Works
Locatelli's works are mainly for the violin, an instrument on which he was a virtuosoVirtuoso
A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
.
His most significant publication is probably L'arte del violino
L'arte del violino
L'arte del violino is a noteworthy and influential musical composition from Italian Baroque violinist and composer Pietro Locatelli. The twelve concerti were written for solo violin, strings, and basso continuo and were published in 1733 as the composer's third opus...
, opus
Opus number
An Opus number , pl. opera and opuses, abbreviated, sing. Op. and pl. Opp. refers to a number generally assigned by composers to an individual composition or set of compositions on publication, to help identify their works...
3. Printed in Amsterdam in 1733, this was one of the most influential musical publications of the early eighteenth century. It is a collection of twelve concertos for solo violin, strings and basso continuo, with a 'capriccio' for unaccompanied violin inserted into the first and last movements of each concerto as a sort of cadenza.
Locatelli also wrote violin sonata
Violin sonata
A violin sonata is a musical composition for violin, which is nearly always accompanied by a piano or other keyboard instrument, or by figured bass in the Baroque period.-A:*Ella Adayevskaya**Sonata Greca for Violin or Clarinet and Piano...
s, a cello sonata
Cello sonata
A cello sonata is usually a sonata written for cello and piano, though other instrumentations are used, such as solo cello. The most famous Romantic-era cellos sonatas are those written by Johannes Brahms and Ludwig van Beethoven...
, trio sonata
Trio sonata
The trio sonata is a musical form that was popular in the 17th and early 18th centuries.A trio sonata is written for two solo melodic instruments and basso continuo, making three parts in all, hence the name trio sonata...
s, concerti grossi and a set of flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
sonatas (his opus 2). His early works show the influence of Arcangelo Corelli
Arcangelo Corelli
Arcangelo Corelli was an Italian violinist and composer of Baroque music.-Biography:Corelli was born at Fusignano, in the current-day province of Ravenna, although at the time it was in the province of Ferrara. Little is known about his early life...
, while later pieces are closer to Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi , nicknamed because of his red hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe...
in style.
List of published works
- Op. 1 (1721) - 12 concerti grossi (in F, C minor, B flat, E minor, D, C minor, F, F minor, D, C, C minor, G minor)
- Op. 2 (1732) - 12 flute sonatas (in G, D, B flat, G, D, G minor, A, F, E, G, D, G)
- Op. 3 (1733) - L'arte del violinoL'arte del violinoL'arte del violino is a noteworthy and influential musical composition from Italian Baroque violinist and composer Pietro Locatelli. The twelve concerti were written for solo violin, strings, and basso continuo and were published in 1733 as the composer's third opus...
12 violin concertos (in D, C minor, F, E, C, G minor, B flat, E minor, G, F, A, D "Il laberinto armonico") - Op. 4 (1735) - 6 Introduttione teatrale (in D, F, B flat, G, D, C) and 6 concerti grossi (in D, F, G, E, C minor, F)
- Op. 5 (1736) - 6 trio sonatas (in G, E minor, E, C, D minor, G "Bizarria")
- Op. 6 (1737) - 12 violin sonatas (in F minor, F, E, A, G minor, D, C minor, C, B minor, A minor, E flat, D minor)
- Op. 7 (1741) - 6 concerti a quatro (in D, B flat, G, F, G minor, E flat)
- Op. 8 (1744) - 10 trio sonatas (in F, D, G minor, C, G, E flat, A, D, F minor, A)