Achille Simonetti (12 June 1857 – 19 November 1928) was a prominent Italian violinist and composer, mainly resident in England and Ireland. He was mainly known as a chamber musician and teacher.
Achille Simonetti | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 June 1857 Turin |
| Died | 19 November 1928 (aged 71) London |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Violinist and composer |
| Instrument | Violin |
| Years active | Circa 1880–1928 |
Life
editBorn in Turin on 12 June 1857,[1] Simonetti left his family in Bologna (this can be gleaned from his letter to Mr Hill (of Hills and Sons) written in 1922,[2]) and completed his studies under Francesco Bianchi, Eugenio Cavallini, Giuseppe Gamba, Charles Dancla (regarded as the last exponent of the classical French school of violin playing),[3] and Camillo Sivori, the last pupil of Niccolo Paganini.[4]
Simonetti died aged 71 in London on 19 November 1928.[5]
Career
editSimonetti came to England in 1891,[6] embarking on a career as chamber musician. He became part of the first London Trio, an endeavour which occupied him from 1901 to 1912,[7] along with cellist William Whitehouse and pianist Amina Goodwin.[8]
From 1912 to 1919, he was a professor of violin at the Royal Irish Academy of Music,[6] and served as a teacher for many distinguished violinists, including Walter Starkie.
Simonetti was also an early champion of the Brahms Violin Concerto, and wrote a cadenza for the work.
Selected compositions
edit- Orchestral
- Ronde joyeuse for string orchestra
- Sérénade for string orchestra
- Meditazione for small orchestra [9]
- Chamber music
- Allegretto Romantico in D minor for viola and piano (published 1897)
- Andante mélancolique for violin (or cello) and piano
- Ballata in C minor for viola and piano (published 1897)
- Berceuse for violin and piano
- Canzonetta for violin and piano
- Capriccio for violin and piano
- Cavatina for cello and piano
- Elegia for cello and piano
- Furlana, Italian Dance for violin and piano
- Madrigale in D major for violin and piano (1901) - wrote text and music? - (Different?) music has been set to this by Pietro Floridia.[10]
- Mazurka for violin and piano
- Minuetto for violin and piano
- Notturnino for violin and piano
- Rêverie for violin and piano
- Romanza for violin and piano
- Romanzetta for violin and piano
- Sonata No. 2, Op. 9, for violin and piano in C major (published 1894)[11]
- Scènes montagnardes, Op. 12, for violin and piano
- String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op. 14 (published 1904)
- String Quartet No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 16 (published c.1904)
- Piano
- Caprice-Mazurka for piano
- Trois Morceaux caractéristiques (3 Character Pieces) for piano
References
edit- ^ "Achille Simonetti is born". Retrieved 24 August 2010.
- ^ "Montagnana Books: Autographs Catalogue". Retrieved 24 August 2010.
- ^ "Charles Dancla: His Life & Times". Retrieved 24 August 2010..
- ^ Walter Starkie, Scholars and Gypsies (1963), p. 90–1.
- ^ "Achille Simonetti dies". Retrieved 24 August 2010.
- ^ a b Pine, Richard & Charles Acton (eds.): To Talent Alone. The Royal Irish Academy of Music, 1848–1998 (Dublin: Gill & Macmillan, 1998), 460–1.
- ^ "Search".
- ^ "Musik und Gender im Internet: Amina Goodwin". Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
- ^ Autograph score at Santini Library.
- ^ "Madrigale, Floridia, Music by Simonetti". Retrieved 24 August 2010.
- ^ IMSLP / Hofmeister.
External links
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