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Michele Mascitti (1664 - 1760)
A bit of history...
Michele Mascitti (Villa Santa Maria, 1664 (?) ? Paris, 19 aprile 1760) was an italian violinist and composer.
Biography
Was born in Villa Santa Maria near Chieti in 1664 (?), and studied violin since young age with his uncle Pietro Marchitelli, which in that time was employed by the Cappella Reale of Naples and by the S.Bartolomeo Theater as violinist. When Mascitti moved to Naples he too played for the Reale Cappella as “violino suprannumerario” and lived in various Italian, German and Dutch cities till 1704, year during which he moved permanently to Paris. Here, within 1738, published at least nine volumes of sonatas and in 1739 became a French citizen and again baptized as Michel. From now ahead, due to his great fame, would receive the protection of the Duke of Orleans, the elector of Bavaria and the cardinal Pietro Ottoboni.
Compositions
● 6 Sonate a vl. solo col cimbalo o violone e 6 sonate per vl., vlc. e b.c. op.1 (1704)
● 15 Sonate da camera a vl. solo col violone o cimbalo op.2 (1706)
● 12 Sonate da camera a vl. solo col violone o cimbalo op.3 (1707)
● 8 Sonate a vl. solo e b.c., e 6 sonate a 2 vl. e b.c. op.4 (1711)
● 12 Sonate a vl. solo e b.c. op.5 (1714)
● 15 Sonate a vl. solo e b.c., e sonate a 2 vl. e b. op.6 (1722)
● 8 Sonate a vl. solo e b.c., e quattro concerti a 6 parti op.7 (1727)
● 12 Sonate a vl. solo e b.c. op.8 (1731)
● 12 Sonate a vl. solo e b.c. op.9 (1738)
Source: Wikipedia
The Neapolitan Violin School and Giovanni Leone
Michele Mashitti went to Paris where he was very successful, and hold in great esteem. Many are the instrumental works, where the violin has an important role, which made the Neapolitan musical theatre achieve a great success: the delicious fugues of Niccolo` Porpora, the works of the violin virtuoso Emanuele Barella, of Ignazio Raimondi, who became the director of the Concerts of Amsterdam, of Niccolo` Jommelli and of Leonardo Leo. The violin concerto by the great genius, Giovan Battista Pergolesi, who was a great violinist and composer. Naples registered important didactic activities. Two are the great Maestros, both born in the '80s of the last century: Alberto Curci and Luigi D'Ambrosio. The first is an important figure not only for the didactic. Curci learned from the Lombard Angelo Ferni, pupil at his turn of Alard, Vieuxtemps and De Beriot, exponents of the French-Belgian violin school. Then he perfected his knowledge of violin with the legendary Joachim and began his teacher and soloist career. Under Curci studied many musicians, among them Luigi Schinina`, Angelo Gaudino and Pavanelli, teacher at his turn of Antonio Salvatore. Luigi D'Ambrosio studied under the Rumenian Eusebio Dworzak, teacher for many years of the Conservatorio San Pietro a Majella, and he perfected his violin knowledge of violin thanks to the German August Wilhelmj. He was like Curci a qualified and severe teacher, but he was lucky enough to meet two very gifted pupils: Giovanni Leone and Salvatore Accardo, who brought great prestige to his school. Leone has been for thirty years the best "viola" of Europe. Alfredo Casella called him “The Prince of violas ". When he abandoned the concert activity because of a car accident, Leone made a name for himself as teacher. Among his pupils the Swedish Gunnar Palm, Felicia Casino, Antonio Arciprete and Luca Ciuffoletti.
Source: Wikipedia
Giovanni Leone
Giovanni Leone (Napoli, 19.VII.1913 – ivi, 14.XI.1992). Studiò viola con Luigi D’Ambrosio diplomandosi nel 1935 nel Conservatorio San Pietro a Majella di Napoli. Nel 1937 vinse il primo premio della Rassegna nazionale dei giovani concertisti di Cremona. Fu per almeno un trentennio uno dei migliori violisti in carriera tanto che Alfredo Casella lo definì «Il principe delle viole». Fece parte dalla fondazione del Quartetto Ruotolo (con Renato Ruotolo e Fedele Saccone ai violini e Marcello Schottler al violoncello), del Gruppo Strumentale «Alessandro Scarlatti» di Napoli, del Quintetto Chigiano, del Sestetto Chigiano, e collaborò inoltre con il Quartetto di Roma con pianoforte. Tenne la prima esecuzione italiana del Concerto per viola di Bartók ancora non pubblicato. Fu costretto ad abbandonare l’attività concertistica in seguito a un incidente occorsogli nel 1961 mentre era su un autobus pubblico a Napoli: si dedicò quindi all’attività didattica nel Conservatorio San Pietro a Majella di Napoli e nell’Accademia Chigiana di Siena dando vita a una classe di prim’ordine.
Source: DMI | Home
Riccardo Brengola
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Brengola was born in Naples. A child prodigy, he made his first studies with his father, and got his violin diploma in the Casablanca Conservatory at the early age of 11. Returning to Italy, he studied violin with Arrigo Serato and orchestral conducting with Paul van Kempen in Bologna. He won the Geneva Violin Competition in 1936 and was finalist on the first occasion of the International Eug?ne Ysaye Competition , Brussels, together with David Oistrakh, Ricardo Odnoposoff and others. Between 1939 and 1966 he was first violin and leader of the Quintetto Chigiano, and later of the Sestetto Chigiano. In his long and successful career he performed extensively around the world (in Europe, Asia and America) with these groups. He also appeared as a soloist with such illustrious conductors as Sergiu Celibidache, Antonio Guarnieri, Carlo Maria Giulini, Igor Markevitch, Jonel Perlea, Paul van Kempen, Erich Leinsdorf, etc., and with other equally famous instrumentalists including Andres Segovia, Alain Meunier and Dino Asciolla. He was emeritus Professor at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana of Siena for 64 years, an academic of Santa Cecilia and titular professor of Musical achievement at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. Brengola was a close friend of the famous Bolognese violin maker Ansaldo Poggi and played his violins on a number of occasions. He also owned superb instruments: the Giovanni Battista Guadagnini 1747 violin known as 'Contessa Crespi'; the 1702 Antonio Stradivari 'Conte di Fontana' violin which had belonged to David Oistrakh and is now played by Massimo Quarta; and an excellent Roberto Regazzi instrument made in the 1980s. In addition to his Decca recordings with the Quintetto Chigiano, he recorded also the Brahms violin sonatas with the pianist Piernarciso Masi. Many are the live recordings for the Radio as a soloist of the RAI orhestras, with concerts by Tartini, Mozart. Brahms (for which he also composed the cadenzas), Mendelsshon, Prokofieff, Beethoven (2 romanze), Peragallo, Ferrari, Zafred ecc. For the RAI he also recorded numerous pieces from the chamber music repertoire in duo with Giuliana Bordoni and with harpsichord player Luciano Bettarini. Enthusiastic performer of contemporary music, received many compositions to him dedicated by various contemporary composers. Worked in close relationship with Casella for a number of years. Brengola for a period of time was appointed concertmaster of the Orchestra Nazionale di S.Cecilia and RAI orchestra in Rome. He is regarded as one of the finest Italian violinists and violin teachers of the 20th Century. Among his many students a special mention goes to Luca Ciuffoletti, an italian violinist that developed an international career and that was one of Brengola's most affectionated student. Ciuffoletti is today regarded as the most reliable custodian of Brengola`s violin technique method. Only very selected students were admitted into Brengola`s classes and with very few he shared his deep knowledge and secrets about violin technique that he had inherited from his teacher: Arrigo Serato and indirectly from the greatest teachers of the past. Brengola died in Rome in 2004.
Source: Wikipedia