Francesco Molino

Francesco Molino (also François Molino, * June 4, 1774 in Ivrea, † 1847 in Paris ) was an Italian guitarist and composer of the early Romantic period.

Life

Francesco Molino was born into a musical family, his father Giuseppe Ignazio Molino was an oboist in the chapel of the Piedmont regiment. When Francesco Molino was 15 years old, he followed his father into the military career. In the army he learned the theoretical foundations of the music, the game of the oboe and viola. From 1786 to 1789 he was a violist in the Teatro Regio in Turin and violinist in the court orchestra of Turin from 1814 to 1818.

Probably came Molino 1818-1820 to Paris. There, the guitar enjoyed great popularity in the society that found by musicians such as Filippo Gragnani (1767-1812), Fernando Sor, Mauro Giuliani, Dionisio Aguado, Pierre- Jean Porro and Ferdinando Carulli distribution. Molino, of which is not known where he learned to play the guitar, occurred mainly as a guitar virtuoso in the salons of Paris in appearance, where he achieved considerable success. What was needed was Molino also as a teacher of his instrument, his disciples came partly from the highest Parisian upper class. Most of his compositions for guitar originated in the period 1820-1835. For the period after 1840, when the guitar had gradually lost its popularity comes his compositions for violin.

Works (selection)

Molino composed more than 60 works for guitar, as well as a guide to learning the instrument, the " Grande Méthode Complette ", op 46 (1826 ). Secondary chamber trios and Nocturnes for flute and guitar especially his Sonata op 51 for guitar solo and his Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra are noteworthy. Of his two concertos for violin and orchestra, he dedicated the second his friend Rodolphe Kreutzer.