Violinist, Composer. One of the outstanding virtuosos of his era. His eclectic style was drawn from his travels throughout Europe. Veracini was born in Florence and made his performing debut in Venice in 1711. Legend has it that rival violinist Giuseppe Tartini was so awed by his playing that he temporarily withdrew from concertizing to improve his bowing technique. Veracini visited London (1714) and Dusseldorf (1715), and from 1716 to 1722 he was principal violinist at the Dresden court of Prince Friedrich August. After an extended period in Florence, where he wrote mainly church music, he was lured back to London in 1733 as a rival of the city's top opera composer, Handel. Critic Charles Burney noted that for years around that time there was scarcely a London concert that did not feature a Veracini solo or two, but his stage works failed to impress the British public. In 1744 he settled permanently in Florence as music director of the churches of S. Pancrazio and later S. Michele. He continued to play the fiddle well into his seventies. The core of Veracini's output are his three sets of 12 Sonatas for Violin and Continuo (1716, 1721, 1744), which show him progressing from the influence of Corelli and Vivaldi to a more contrapuntal idiom indicative of the German masters. He also wrote at least three Violin Concertos, six "Overtures" (actually orchestral suites, 1716), four operas, eight oratorios, and many sacred motets.
Violinist, Composer. One of the outstanding virtuosos of his era. His eclectic style was drawn from his travels throughout Europe. Veracini was born in Florence and made his performing debut in Venice in 1711. Legend has it that rival violinist Giuseppe Tartini was so awed by his playing that he temporarily withdrew from concertizing to improve his bowing technique. Veracini visited London (1714) and Dusseldorf (1715), and from 1716 to 1722 he was principal violinist at the Dresden court of Prince Friedrich August. After an extended period in Florence, where he wrote mainly church music, he was lured back to London in 1733 as a rival of the city's top opera composer, Handel. Critic Charles Burney noted that for years around that time there was scarcely a London concert that did not feature a Veracini solo or two, but his stage works failed to impress the British public. In 1744 he settled permanently in Florence as music director of the churches of S. Pancrazio and later S. Michele. He continued to play the fiddle well into his seventies. The core of Veracini's output are his three sets of 12 Sonatas for Violin and Continuo (1716, 1721, 1744), which show him progressing from the influence of Corelli and Vivaldi to a more contrapuntal idiom indicative of the German masters. He also wrote at least three Violin Concertos, six "Overtures" (actually orchestral suites, 1716), four operas, eight oratorios, and many sacred motets.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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