Francesco Geminiani,

 

 

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Hawkins, John: A General History Of The Science and Practice Of Music. 5

Standort
    München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek -- 4 Mus.th. 622-5
Urheber
    Hawkins, John -- (GND: 118709291)
Titel
    A General History Of The Science and Practice Of Music: In Five Volumes. 5
Von
    By Sir John Hawkins
Entstehung
    London : Payne

    (1776)

===================================

 https://archive.org/stream/17778571998888bsb-11384147/17778571998888bsb11384147_djvu.txt

 

FRANCESCO GEMINIANI. 


“BN pANCESCO GEMINIANI, a native of Lucca, was born about the 
F year 1680. He received his firft inftru€tions in mufic from Alef- 
fandro Scarlatti, and after that became a pupil of Carlo Ambrofio Lu- 

-nati, furnamed Il Gobbo *, a moft celebrated performer on the-vio- 
 *# Vide ante, page 131- 
lin. 


a 


Chap. 4. AND PRACTICE OF MUSIC. 239% 
lin ; after which he became a difciple of Corelli, and under him fi- 
nifhed his ftudies on that inftrument. 

In the year 1714 he came to England, where in a thort time he: 
fo recommended himfelf by his exquifite performance, that all who: 
profefled to underfland or love mufic, were captivated at the hearing- 
him; and among the nobility were many who feverally laid claim to 
the honour of being his patrons; but the perfon to whom he feemed: 
the moft clofely to attach himfelf was the Baron Kilmanfegge, cham- 
berlain to king George I. as elector of Hanover, and a favourite of 
that prince. In the year 1716 he publifhed and dedicated to that no~- 
bleman twelve Sonatas, a Violino Violonee Cembalo: The firft fix: 
with fugues and double ftops, as they are vulgarly called; the laft 
with airs. of various meafures, fuch as Allemandes, Courants, and: 
Jigs. 

"The publication of this work had fuch an effect, that men were ata. 
lofs to determine which was the greateft excellence of Geminiani,, 
his performance or his fkill- and fine ftyle in compofition ; and, with: 
a due attention.to his intereft, there is no faying to what degree he- 
might have availed himfelf of that favour, which his merits had: 
found in this country: This at leaft is certain, that the publication: 
of his book impreffed-his patron with fuch a fenfe of his abilities, as. 
moved hini.to endeavour to procure for him a more beneficial patron-. 
age than his own; to this end he mentioned Geminiani to the king 
as an exquifite performer, and the author of a work, which at the- 
fame time he produced and the king had no fooner looked over,, 
than he expreffed a defire to hear fome of the compofitions contained. 
in it performed by the author. The Baron immediately communi-- 
cated the king’s pleafure to Geminiani, who, though he was gladly: 
difpofed to obey fuch a command, intimated tothe Baron a with that. 
he might be accompanied on the harpfichord by Mr. Handel, which- 
being fignified to-the king, both mafters had notice to attend at St.. 
James’s, and Geminiani acquitted himfelf in a manner worthy of the: 
expeCtations that had been formed of him. 

It is much to be doubted whether the talents of Geminiani were of 
fuch a kind, as qualified him to give a direfion to the national tafte ;, 
his compofitions, elegant and ornate as they were, carried in them 
no evidences of that extenfive genius which is required in dramatic: 


mufic ; nor. did he make the leaft effort to fhew that he was pof- 
feffeds 


240 HISTORY OF THE SCIENCE Book II: 


feffed of the talent of affociating mufic with poetry, or of adapting 
correfponding founds to fentiments: The confequence hereof was, 
that he was neceflitated to rely on the patronage of his friends among 
the nobility, and to depend for fubfiftence upon prefents, and the 
profits which accrued to him by teaching, upon terms which him- 
felf was permitted to make. 

A fituation like this muft appear little better than humiliating, to: 
one that confiders the eafe and affluence, and, comparatively f{peak- 
ing, independent fituation of Corelli, who through his whole life 
feems to have enjoyed the bleffings of eafe, affluence, and fame. 
Corelli for fome years led the orcheftra in the opera at Rome ; we 
find not that Geminiani occupied a fimilarfituation at London, nor 
that he was at any time of his life a public performer: It may there- 
fore be a wonder what were his means of fubfiftence during his long 
ftay in this country. All that can be faid to this purpofe is, that he 
had very many bountiful patrons and pupils, as many in number as 
he could poffibly attend. 

The relation between the arts of mufic and painting is fo near, that 
in numberlefs inftances, thofe who have excelled in one have been 
admirers of theother. Geminiani was an enthufiaft in painting, and 
the ver{atility of his temper was fuch, that, to gratify this paflion, he 
not only fafpended his ftudies, and negleéted the exercife of his ta- 
lents, but involved himfelf in ftraits and difficulties, which a fmall 
degree of prudence would have taught him to avoid. To gratify his 
tafte, he bought piGtures; and, to fupply his wants, he fold them ; 
the neceflary confequence of this kind of traffic was lofs, and its 
concomitant, neceflity. 

In the diftrefs, which by this imprudent conduét he had brought 
on himfelf, Geminiani was neceflitated, for the fecurity of his per- 
fon, to avail himfelf of that protection which the nobility of this 
country have power to extend in favour of their fervants. The late 
earl of Effex was a lover of mufic, and had been taught the violin by 
Geminiani, who at times had been refident in his lordfhip’s family ; 
upon this ground the earl was prevailed on to inroll the name of Ge- 
miniant in the lift of thofe fervants of his whom he meant to fcreen 
from the procefs of the law. 

The notification of the fecurity which Geminiani had thus obtained 
was not fo general as to anfwer the defign of it. A creditor fora 
{mall fum of money arrefted him, and threw him into the prifon of 

the 


Chap.4. AND PRACTICE OF MUSIC. 241 


the Marfhalfea, from whence, upon an application to his protector 
he was however ina very fhort time dilcharged *. 

A feries of condua fuch as that of Geminiani was, the neglecting 
the improvement i thofe advantages which would have refulted 
from his great abilities in his profeffion; his contraéting of debts, 
and negleét in payment of them, feem to indicate as ‘well a want of 
principle as difcretion : neverthelefs that he was in an eminent de- 
gree poffefled of the former, will appear from the following anecdote. 

The place of mafter and compofer of the ftate mufic in Ireland had 
been occupied for feveral years by John Sigifmund Couffer, a Ger- 
man mufician of great eminence, who will be fpoken of hereafter. 
This perfon died in the year 1727; and notice of his deceafe coming 
to the earl of Effex, he, by means of lord Percival, obtained of the 
minifter, Sir Robert Walpole, a promife of the place; which he 
had no fooner got, than lord Effex immediately fent for Geminiani, 
and told him that his difficulties were now at an end, for that he had 
provided for him an honourable employment, fuited to his profeffion 
and abilities, and which would afford him an ample provifion for 
life; but upon enquiry into the conditions of the office, Geminiani 
found that it was not tenable by one of the Romifh communion, he 
therefore declined accepting of it, afligning as a reafon that he was 
a member of the catholic church; and that though he had never 
made great pretenfions to religion, the thought of renouncing that 
faith in which he had been baptized, for the fake of worldly advan- 
tage, was what he could in no way anfwer to his confcience. Upon 
this refufal on the part of Geminiani, the place was beftowed on Mr. 
Matthew Dubourg, a young man who had.been one of his pupils, 
and was a celebrated performer on the violin. 

Some years had now elapfed fince the publication of his Solos, and 
as well with a view to advantage, as in compliance with his inclina- 
tions, he fet himfelf to compofe parts to the firft part of the Opera 
quinta of Corelli, or, in other words, to make Concertos of the firft fix 
of his Solos... This work he completed, and, with the help of a fub= 


* Immediately upon his confinement he fent, by one Foreft, an attorney, a letter to a 
gentleman in lord Effex’s family, who, upon fhewing it to his lordfhip, was directed to 
go tothe prifon and claim Geminiani as the fervant of the earl of Effex, which he did, and 
the prifoner was accordingly difcharged. ‘This fact, together with many others above- 
mentioned, way communicated by the perfon to whom the letter was fent. 


Vou. V. Aaa. {cription, 


242 HISTORY OF THE SCIENCE  BookIilf. 


fcription, at the head of which were the names of the royal family, 
he publifhed:it in the year 1726. A fhort time after; he made the re- 
maining fix of Corelli’s Solos alfo into Concertos; but thefe having 
na fugues, and confifting altogether of airs, afforded him but little 
{cope for the exercife of his fkill, and met with but an indifferent 
reception. 

He alfo made Concertos of fix of Corelli’s Sonatas, that is to fay, 
the ninth in the firft opera, and the firfty third, fourth, ninth, and 
tenth of the third. This feems to have been a hafty publica- 
tion, and is hardly now remembered. In the year 1732 he pub- 
lifhed what he ftyled his Opera feeonda, that is to fay, VI. Concerti 
grofli con due Violini, Violoncello, e Viola di Concertino Obligati, 
e due altri Violini, e baflo di Concerto groffo ad arbitrio, with a 
dedication to Henrietta, duchefs of Marlborough. The firft of thefe 
compolitions is celebrated for the fine minuvet with which it clofes ; 
the firft idea of the Concerto was the following Solo, which the 


author had compofed many years-before, and has never yet appeared. 
in print. . 


Chap.4. AND PRACTICE OF MUSIC. 243