Francesco Onofrio Manfredini: 12 Concerti Grossi | Op. 3 | 1718

Manfredini is best known for his Christmas Concerto or subtitle of Pastorale per il Santissimo Natale, which forms the last string concerto on this video. All 12 concerti Op.3 are performed here, with propulsive yet fresh and polished playing by Remy’s small Baroque string band. Manfredini studied violin under Torelli. The hints of Albinoni and in concertos IX & XII the use of only 2 violins and basso continuo present a road somewhere between concerto and trio sonata at times. These are delightfully colourful works alternate between solo 2 violins and the ripieno or full body of strings: Chapters: 0:00 Concerto I 5:15 Concerto II 9:53 Concerto III 15:06 Concerto IV 20:10 Concerto V 25:50 Concerto VI 32:05 Concerto VII 38:33 Concerto VIII 45:05 Concerto IX 53:15 Concerto X 1:02:40 Concerto XI 1:10:16 Concerto XII Francesco Onofrio Manfredini was an Italian Baroque composer, violinist, and church musician. He was born on June 22, 1684, at Pistoia, Italy, to a trombonist in the parish church of Pistoia. As a teenager he was sent to Bologna, then a part of the Papal States, to study violin with Giuseppe Torelli, who was a leading figure in the development of the concerto grosso. Francesco also took instruction in composition and counterpoint from Giacomo Antonio Perti, maestro di capella of the Basilica of San Petronio from 1696 when the orchestra was temporarily disbanded. In 1700, the 16-year-old Manfredini went to Ferrara to take a job as first violinist in the orchestra of the Church of San Spirito. In 1704, however, he returned to Bologna, employed again in the re-formed orchestra of San Petronio. In the same year he became a member of the Accademia Filarmonica and published his first compositions, a set of twelve chamber sonatas (Op. 1). In 1709, he also published Sinfonie da chiesa (Op. 2), ostensibly chamber pieces, they, in fact, complemented the earlier chamber sonatas. After 1711, Manfredini spent an extended stay in Monaco, apparently in the service of Prince Antoine I. The prince had been a pupil of Louis XIV’s favorite composer Jean Baptiste Lully, whose conductor’s baton he had inherited. In 1718 he would publish, in Bologna, his Concerti Grossi for two violins and basso continuo (THIS VIDEO), Op. 3, Nos. 1-12 which are dedicated to that ruler. Also copies of his 12 Sinfonie da chiesa, Op. 2 were found in the princely library. He also wrote an oratorio, Tommaso Moro. One indication of the nature of the relationship is that Prince Antoine stood as godfather to Manfredini’s son Antonio Francesco; four other children were born to him during his stay in the principality. He had returned to Pistoia in 1724 as maestro di capella at St. Phillip’s Cathedral. Shortly afterwards, he published four oratorios, presumably all written in the years 1725-1728. He held this post for 35 years until his death on October 6, 1762. Much of his music is presumed to have been destroyed after his death; only 43 published works and a handful of manuscripts are known. Two of his sons, Vincenzo and Giuseppe, had careers of some note. The former was appointed maestro di capella of the Italian opera in St. Petersburg. Giuseppe became a castrato singer. It has been said that his name “may have…disappeared had he not composed a Christmas Concerto (No. 12 of Op. 3).” Manfredini was born during a particularly fertile period for the production of great composers. Born within 16 months of him were Rameau, Walther, Handel, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Domenico Scarlatti. Against the glare of these first-magnitude stars (and the not much older Telemann and Vivaldi), the lesser but noteworthy talent of Manfredini is easy to overlook. Manfredini was not a prolific composer, or if he was, an undue amount of his work has been lost, but there are 43 published instrumental works, nine oratorios (music lost), and a couple of unpublished works. Manfredini’s principal compositions reflect his training with Torelli in Bologna. They include sets of concerti grossi, in chamber and church form, and trio sonatas. His oratorios include S Filippo Neri trionfante and Tommaso Moro. Although he composed oratorios, only his secular works remain in the repertoire. A contemporary of Johann Sebastian Bach and Antonio Vivaldi, his extant work shows the influence of the latter. Cover art: Pistoia though a small town, it boasts an ancient pipe organ building tradition. For over one hundred and fifty years two authentic “dynasties” of organ builders worked in Pistoia, the Agati and Tronci families, passing the job from father to son. On the cover of this video is Organo Cacioli-Tronci, built in 1745, standing in the same church of Santi Propsero Prospero e Filippo where Manfredini worked until his death on October 6, 1762. Performed by: Ludger Rémy, harpsichordist/pianist and conductor Orchestra Les Amis de Philippe #RecordareDomine