Giuseppe Torelli

Giuseppe Torelli was an Italian Baroque composer, violinist and violist who played a pivotal role in the development of the concerto grosso and the solo violin concerto. He was born in Verona on 22 April 1658 and studied composition under Giacomo Antonio Perti. His career took him to Bologna (1686-1695, 1701-1709), Ansbach and Vienna. Torelli is especially noted for his concertos for trumpet—he composed more than 30 for one, two or four trumpets and orchestra—and for his opuses such as Op. 1 Sonate a tre (1686), Op. 3 Sinfonie a due, tre e quattro strumenti (1687) and Op. 8 Concerti grossi… (1709). He died in Bologna on 8 February 1709.

Torelli was also the brother of the painter Felice Torelli and studied not only with Perti but earlier with G. Massaroti, as well as possibly with E. Gaibara for violin. Between 1686 and 1695 he served as a violist in a church chapel in Bologna, and from 1695 he performed at various German courts before returning to Bologna in 1701.

Among his pupils was Francesco Manfredini, and his catalogue includes additional works such as chamber concertos for two violins and basso continuo, Op. 2 (1686), twelve sonatas for violin and continuo, Op. 4 (1688), the concert and quartet symphony, Op. 5 (1692), four concertos for quartet, Op. 6 (1698), and the Capricci for violin and viola, Op. 7. His Op. 8 collection also contains specific groupings, with the first six concertos written for two violins and the remaining for solo violin.

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