Gaetano Pugnani

Pugnani ( born November 27, 1731 in Turin, † July 15, 1798 same place; actually Giulio Gaetano Gerolamo Pugnani ) was an Italian violinist and composer.

Life

Pugnani received violin lessons from Giovanni Battista Somis and Giuseppe Tartini. In 1752 he was concertmaster of the Royal Chapel in Turin. He was known before 1760 beyond his homeland. He stayed at 1754 for the first time in Paris, further in 1772 and in 1773. Conducted in London from 1767 to 1769 at King 's Theatre. On extensive concert tours that took him to Paris and London, he earned a reputation as one of the best violinists of his time. In 1770 he returned to Turin and taught Giovanni Battista Viotti, this expressed their gratitude in his prints as a " student of the famous Pugnani ".

After Pugnani 1776 took over the management of the Turin Royal Chapel, he began to distinguish itself as a composer, but could never come close to his fame as a violinist with it. With his pupil Viotti, who had already become a virtuoso musician, he undertook a concert tour of the 1780-1782 Switzerland, Dresden, Warsaw and St. Petersburg, where he was staying longer and separated by Viotti.

He was one of the most outstanding violinists of the 18th century, who was known for his powerful game ( " arco magno " ) and its technical assurance with which he has contributed to the development of modern technique.

Works

Most mentioned sonatas were published several times and under different Opus numbers, so here are just the first publications mentioned.

• 6 Sonatas for Violin and Continuo op.3 ( first edition Paris 1760)
• 6 Sonatas for Violin and Continuo op.7 ( first edition London 1770)
• 6 Sonatas for Violin and Continuo op.8 ( first edition Amsterdam 1774)
• 6 Trio Sonatas op.1 ( first edition Paris 1754)
• 6 Trio Sonatas Op.2 ( first edition London 1765 )
• 6 Duets, Opus 4 ( first edition London 1770)
• Symphonies
• A symphonic poem to Goethe's Werther
• Several operas