Federigo Fiorillo (1753-1823)
- Simphonie concertante en Fa majeur
Performers: Julia Girdwood (oboe); City of London Sinfonia; Nicholas Ward (conductor)
Painting: Alexandre-Jean Noël (1752-1834) - Le Pont de la Tournelle, l’île Saint-Louis, l’île Louviers (1780)
Further info: Federigo Fiorillo (1753-1823) - Sinfonie Concertante
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Italian violinist, viola player and composer, son of Ignazio Fiorillo
(1715-1787). He reportedly first became proficient on the mandolin and
only later turned to the violin. He had probably been touring for some
time before his first recorded appearance as a violinist in St
Petersburg in 1777. He was in Poland from 1780 to 1781, playing both the
violin and the mandolin, and from 1782 to 1784 he was conductor at
Riga. In 1785 he played with considerable success at the Concert
Spirituel in Paris, and the first of his numerous published works
appeared shortly thereafter. He apparently remained in Paris for three
years and then went to London, where in 1788 he began to play regularly
as viola player in Salomon’s quartet. According to Fétis his last public
appearance was as soloist in a viola concerto in 1794, but the
title-page of his op.29 (trios for flute, violin and viola), published
some time between 1802 and 1811, indicates that he continued to play at
some public occasions. His works continued to appear from various
publishers throughout Europe until about 1817. According to one report,
he left London in 1815, and Pohl stated that he spent some time in
Amsterdam. It is possible, however, that he remained in London until
1823, when he went to Paris to undergo an operation. Fétis learnt from
Fiorillo’s publisher Sieber that he returned to London after his
treatment. Fiorillo’s works appear to be both conservative and
conventional. His violin compositions reflect a virtuoso’s technique,
but he chose to direct a large part of his prolific creativity (more
than 70 opus numbers and some 200 works) towards current fashions, such
as light piano pieces, divertimentos and arrangements of popular songs.
Unquestionably, he succeeded with the public; his publications appeared
in multiple editions throughout most of Europe. As a result, conflicting
opus numbers are common, and his total output is in need of
bibliographic clarification. Although great surprises are not likely to
emerge, it is not possible to judge Fiorillo’s achievement based on our
present knowledge. Such present-day fame as he has rests almost entirely
on one work, his 36 caprices for violin. These are études of good
musical quality, and they have taken their place in the violinist’s
pedagogical repertory beside those of Rode and Kreutzer.
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