Giovanni Battista Somis
Encyclopedia
Giovanni Battista Somis was an Italian
violin
ist and composer
of the Baroque music era
.
He studied under Arcangelo Corelli
between 1703 and 1706 or 1707. He was later appointed solo violinist to the king at Turin and leader of the royal band, and seems scarcely ever to have left Turin after these appointments.
A trip to Paris in 1731 to play at the Concert Spirituel
produced a report in the April 1733 Le Mercure praising his playing.
He published eight opus numbers in all:
He formed a style more brilliant and more emotional, and caused a decided step forward in the art of violin playing. He was the teacher of Jean-Marie Leclair
, Felice Giardini
, Louis-Gabriel Guillemain
, and Chabran , as well as Gaetano Pugnani
, and he forms a connecting link between the classical schools of Italy and France. He died in Turin
.
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...
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...
of the Baroque music era
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
.
He studied under 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...
between 1703 and 1706 or 1707. He was later appointed solo violinist to the king at Turin and leader of the royal band, and seems scarcely ever to have left Turin after these appointments.
A trip to Paris in 1731 to play at the Concert Spirituel
Concert Spirituel
The Concert Spirituel was one of the first public concert series in existence. The concerts began in Paris in 1725 and ended in 1790; later, concerts or series of concerts of the same name occurred in Paris, Vienna, London and elsewhere...
produced a report in the April 1733 Le Mercure praising his playing.
He published eight opus numbers in all:
- Opus 1 - 12 sonatas for violin and figured bassFigured bassFigured bass, or thoroughbass, is a kind of integer musical notation used to indicate intervals, chords, and non-chord tones, in relation to a bass note...
(1717 Amsterdam, published by J. Roger) - Opus 2 - 12 sonatas for violin and figured bass (1723 Turin)
- Opus 3 - 12 sonatas for violin and figured bass (1725 Turin)
- Opus 4 - 12 sonatas for violin and figured bass (1726 Paris)
- Opus 5 - 6 trio sonataTrio sonataThe 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 for two violins and figured bass (1733 Paris, published by Bolvin) - Opus 6 - 12 sonatas for violin and figured bass (1734 Paris)
- Opus 7 - "Ideali trattimenti da camera" for two violins, two flutes or violes (1750 Paris)
- Opus 8 - 6 trio sonatas
He formed a style more brilliant and more emotional, and caused a decided step forward in the art of violin playing. He was the teacher of Jean-Marie Leclair
Jean-Marie Leclair
Jean-Marie Leclair l'aîné, also known as Jean-Marie Leclair the Elder, was a Baroque violinist and composer. He is considered to have founded the French violin school...
, Felice Giardini
Felice Giardini
Felice Giardini was an Italian composer and violinist.Felice Giardini was born in Turin. When it became clear that he was a child prodigy, his father sent him to Milan. There he studied singing, harpsichord and violin but it was on the latter that he became a famous virtuoso...
, Louis-Gabriel Guillemain
Louis-Gabriel Guillemain
Louis-Gabriel Guillemain was a French composer and violinist.-Biography:Probably born in Paris, Guillemain was raised by the Count de Rochechouart, and started studying violin at an early age. He was then sent to Italy to complete his training as violinist, and studied under Giovanni Battista...
, and Chabran , as well as Gaetano Pugnani
Gaetano Pugnani
Gaetano Pugnani was born in Turin. He trained on the violin under Giovanni Battista Somis and Giuseppe Tartini. In 1752, Pugnani became the first violinist of the Royal Chapel in Turin. Then he went on a large tour that granted him great fame for his extraordinary skill on the violin...
, and he forms a connecting link between the classical schools of Italy and France. He died in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
.