Camillo Sivori
Encyclopedia
Ernesto Camillo Sivori, (October 25, 1815 – February 18, 1894) was an Italian
virtuoso violin
ist and composer
.
Born in Genoa
, he was the only pupil of Paganini
. He also studied with Restano, Giacomo Costa and Dellepiane.
From 1827 Sivori began the career of a travelling virtuoso, which lasted almost without interruption until 1864. He played Mendelssohn's concerto for the first time in England in 1846, and was in England again in the seasons of 1851 and 1864. He lived for many years in Paris, and died in Genoa on February 18, 1894.
He collaborated with composers of his day, including Franz Liszt
. He played the first performance of Luigi Cherubini's "Requiem" in E minor.
He owned many valuable instruments, including violins by Amati
, Stradivari, Bergonzi
, and Jean Baptiste Vuillaume
. His favourite was the Vuillaume violin, which he received from Paganini. It was an impeccably close copy of Paganini's famous Cannone Guarnerius.
Sivori was known to adapt many peculiar pieces such that he could play them, and many of these pieces, once thought absurd, have now become quite popular. The best example of this is Giovanni Bottesini
's Gran Duo Concertante
, which was a double concerto originally written for two double bass
es, alternating the melody. Sivori changed it from two double bass
es to a violin
and a double bass
, alternating parts and sometimes playing together in the same octave
.
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Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
virtuoso 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 and composer
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...
.
Born in Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, he was the only pupil of Paganini
Niccolò Paganini
Niccolò Paganini was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer. He was one of the most celebrated violin virtuosi of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique...
. He also studied with Restano, Giacomo Costa and Dellepiane.
From 1827 Sivori began the career of a travelling virtuoso, which lasted almost without interruption until 1864. He played Mendelssohn's concerto for the first time in England in 1846, and was in England again in the seasons of 1851 and 1864. He lived for many years in Paris, and died in Genoa on February 18, 1894.
He collaborated with composers of his day, including Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
. He played the first performance of Luigi Cherubini's "Requiem" in E minor.
He owned many valuable instruments, including violins by Amati
Amati
Amati is the name of a family of Italian violin makers, who flourished at Cremona from about 1549 to 1740.-Andrea Amati:Andrea Amati was not the earliest maker of violins whose instruments still survive today...
, Stradivari, Bergonzi
Bergonzi
Carlo Bergonzi was an Italian luthier who apprenticed with Hieronymus Amati, collaborated with Joseph Guarneri, and is considered the greatest pupil of Antonio Stradivari....
, and Jean Baptiste Vuillaume
Jean Baptiste Vuillaume
Jean Baptiste Vuillaume was an illustrious French violin maker. He made over 3,000 instruments and was also a fine businessman and an inventor.-Early life:...
. His favourite was the Vuillaume violin, which he received from Paganini. It was an impeccably close copy of Paganini's famous Cannone Guarnerius.
Sivori was known to adapt many peculiar pieces such that he could play them, and many of these pieces, once thought absurd, have now become quite popular. The best example of this is Giovanni Bottesini
Giovanni Bottesini
Giovanni Bottesini was an Italian Romantic composer, conductor, and a double bass virtuoso.-Biography:Born in Crema, Lombardy, he was taught the rudiments of music by his father, an accomplished clarinetist and composer, at a young age and had played timpani in Crema with the Teatro Sociale before...
's Gran Duo Concertante
Gran Duo Concertante
The Gran Duo Concertante was composed by the Italian double bass virtuoso Giovanni Bottesini in 1880. Originally written for two double basses and orchestra, the piece was premiered by Bottesini and Luigi Negri, a former classmate of the composer...
, which was a double concerto originally written for two double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
es, alternating the melody. Sivori changed it from two double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
es to a 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....
and a double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
, alternating parts and sometimes playing together in the same octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
.
External links
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