BOCCHERINI, LUIGI (1743-1805)

Luigi Boccherini was born in Lucca, February 19, 1743 and died in Madrid on May 28, 1805. He was an Italian composer and cellist, born into a family of much artistic talent. He was a prolific composer, particularly of chamber music with a distinctive and highly wrought style, and is the chief representative of Latin instrumental music during the Viennese Classical period. He and his father Leopold, a cellist and bassist, were summoned by imperial courts and wealthy patrons in Vienna, Paris, Italy, Germany, and Spain during the course of their lives as composers in residence. During the 1770's, which were a period of security and steady activity for Boccherini, he composed over 100 string quintets. It is one of these, chosen from a collection of "Sei Quintetti," that is the source of this transcription for saxophone quintet. Syncopated rhythms are an important mark of his style often appearing in an inner part to maintain the vitality of an accompaniment or simply to enliven a texture. They are closely allied to Boccherini'’s highly individual manner of phrasing, with slurs from a weak beat to a strong, which by depriving a line of direct accentuation lends a certain softness and suavity to its melodic contours. Thus the use of dolce in his music is common. The pervading charm and gentleness of his music is well contrasted by brief, explosive fortissimo passages.

 

His melodic style is characterized by repetition of short phrases, the use of triadic or scalic figures, the symmetry of rthythmic structure, and above all, the delicate detail with finely moulded lines elaborated with trills or appogiaturas.

 

This was a composer of uncommon ingenuity and enterprise in the handling of musical materials.