Giovanni battista pescetti biography

Giovanni Battista Pescetti (Venice, ca. 1704 – Venice, March 20, 1766) was an organist and composer. Born in Venice around 1704, he studied under Antonio Lotti for some time. Having spent some time writing operas in and around Venice, he left for London in 1736, becoming director of the Opera of the Nobility in 1737.

After having to leave London when hostility arose against Catholic Italians, he returned to Venice in 1745 and became Second Organist at St Mark's.

Pescetti was active as a teacher of composition in Venice, his most famous students Josef Mysliveček (1737-1781) and Antonio Salieri (1750-1825). Although his output consists mainly of operatic works, a considerable amount of Pescetti's compositions were written for harpsichord, some intended to be performed on Pipe Organ, including his Six Sonatas, composed around 1756. Nowadays, his keyboard sonatas are generally performed on a modern piano, though various recordings exist that use the intended organ.

Giovanni Battista Pescetti (c. 1704 –20 March 1766) was an organist, harpsichordist, and composer known primarily for his operas and keyboard sonatas. Musicologist and University of California, Santa Barbara professor John E. Gillespie wrote that Pescetti "stylistically stands as a bridge between Alberti and Domenico Scarlatti".

Born in Venice, Pescetti was the son of organ builder Giacinto Pescetti. His mother, Giulia Pescetti (née Pollarolo), was the daughter of opera composer and organist Carlo Francesco Pollarolo and the sister of composer and organist Antonio Pollarolo. He studied in his native city under the organist and opera composer Antonio Lotti. He developed a friendship with Baldassare Galuppi, a fellow pupil of Lotti's, with whom he collaborated in creating and revising operas. From 1725 to 1732 he wrote operas for various theatres in Venice, sometimes in collaboration with Galuppi.

Pescetti left Italy for London in 1736, where he initially worked as a harpsichordist. He replaced Nicola Porpora as director of the Opera of the Nobility in 1737. In London, the opera singer Giovanni Manzuoli championed his music and became a close friend of his. In 1739 he published a set of ten keyboard sonatas entitled Sonate per gravicembalo in London. This work included arrangements of the overture and arias in his opera La conquista del velo d’oro. While stylistically his work exists in between that of Alberti and Scarlatti, some of his music displayed the influence of his London contemporary George Frideric Handel.

Pescetti probably left London around 1745 when hostility against Catholic Italians arose because of the Jacobite rebellion of Prince Ch

Italian composer (c. 1704 – 1766)

Giovanni Battista Pescetti (c. 1704 – 20 March 1766) was an organist, harpsichordist, and composer known primarily for his operas and keyboard sonatas. Musicologist and University of California, Santa Barbara professor John E. Gillespie wrote that Pescetti "stylistically stands as a bridge between Alberti and Domenico Scarlatti".

Life

Born in Venice, Pescetti was the son of organ builder Giacinto Pescetti. His mother, Giulia Pescetti (née Pollarolo), was the daughter of opera composer and organist Carlo Francesco Pollarolo and the sister of composer and organist Antonio Pollarolo. He studied in his native city under the organist and opera composer Antonio Lotti. He developed a friendship with Baldassare Galuppi, a fellow pupil of Lotti's, with whom he collaborated in creating and revising operas. From 1725 to 1732 he wrote operas for various theatres in Venice, sometimes in collaboration with Galuppi.

Pescetti left Italy for London in 1736, where he initially worked as a harpsichordist. He replaced Nicola Porpora as director of the Opera of the Nobility in 1737. In London, the opera singer Giovanni Manzuoli championed his music and became a close friend of his. In 1739 he published a set of ten keyboard sonatas entitled Sonate per gravicembalo in London. This work included arrangements of the overture and arias in his opera La conquista del velo d’oro. While stylistically his work exists in between that of Alberti and Scarlatti, some of his music displayed the influence of his London contemporary George Frideric Handel.^[1]

Giovanni Battista Pescetti (Venice, ca. 1704  – Venice, March 20, 1766) was an organist and composer. Born in Venice around 1704, he studied under Antonio Lotti for some time. Having spent some time writing operas in and around Venice, he left for London in 1736, becoming director of the Opera of the Nobility in 1737.

After having to leave London when hostility arose against Catholic Italians, he returned to Venice in 1745 and became Second Organist at St Mark's.

Pescetti was active as a teacher of composition in Venice, his most famous students Josef Mysliveček (1737-1781) and Antonio Salieri (1750-1825). Although his output consists mainly of operatic works, a considerable amount of Pescetti's compositions were written for harpsichord, some intended to be performed on Pipe Organ, including his Six Sonatas, composed around 1756. Nowadays, his keyboard sonatas are generally performed on a modern piano, though various recordings exist that use the intended organ.

Sonata in C minor

The popular Sonata in C minor was transcribed for harp by Carlos Salzedo. The first movement is in two four and opens with eighth notes outlining the tonic triad--C, down a fourth to G, up a sixth to E Flat and back down a third to C. This is echoed in the left hand as the right hand plays quarter notes E flat, C, B natural. The right hand now plays the melody again and continues on, transposing to G major, going through a short development and then ending in G. The melody repeats, then goes to a second section starting in E flat major. This section follows the same structure--melody in right hand, melody in left hand, melody in right hand, transposes back to c minor, goes through the same development and then ends in c minor. The second section repeats again and the movement ends.

The second movement in characterized by a quarter note melody embellished by grace notes with a triplet left hand accompaniment.

The third movement (prest