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Booklet notes.

Luigi Puxeddu has played as principal cellist with the Orchestra of La Scala, and La Fenice. He has also been principal cellist of I Solisti Veneti for many years. He has recorded the Guitar Quintets of Boccherini and the first 40 Quintets.

Luigi Boccherini was born in 1743 in the Italian city of Lucca, the birthplace of Geminiani, and later of Catalani and Puccini. Like his fellow composer and compatriot Geminiani, he left Italy after his studies as there was little interest in purely instrumental music. Geminiani travelled to London, and Boccherini to Madrid to pursue his career as a virtuoso cellist. Boccherini’s reputation was soon to rival that of Haydn (with whom he was on friendly terms with) and Mozart, and he composed a large quantity of symphonies, concertos, quartets, trios and sonatas.

The string quintet was a medium he made his own, and influenced the young Mozart. The works on this CD although called sonatas contain some of his earliest works (1771-5) for cello with four accompanying instruments. Boccherini died in Madrid in 1805, his reputation as one of the great figures of 18th century music secure.

The most extensive Edition of Boccherini in the market. The average music lover knows only one piece by Boccherini: the famous Menuet. And indeed it is quintessential Boccherini: elegant, charming, sweetly melodic, warm and graceful. However there is more to this famous classical composer: his vast output of mainly chamber music shows him an genius craftsman, ables to express himself in a wide range of emotions, in well balanced and perfected structures of the Classical Style. This set offers a generous collection of chamber music in diverse instrumental combinations, for guitar (the famous “Fandango Quintet”!), oboe, cello, pianoforte and strings. His symphonic output is present with a fine selection of symphonies and his complete cello concertos. Also included is his famous Stabat Mater for vocal soloists, choir and orchestra. Highly praised historically informed performances, by La Magnifica Comunità and others.

One of the most distinguished figures of the Classical period, the Italian composer Luigi Boccherini (1743– 1805) was revered by 18th-century listeners and musicians for the charm, elegance and lyrical beauty of his music. Although his legacy has been undervalued in modern times, this new 37 CD box set, the most comprehensive on the market, invites listeners to rediscover the distinctive musical voice and graceful style that won Boccherini acclaim during his own lifetime. The composer’s famed chamber works are explored in particular detail: a broad survey of the string quintets highlights the warmth and sophistication that listeners have found so appealing in Boccherini’s music, and the oboe, piano and guitar quintets (including the evocative ‘Fandango’ Guitar Quintet) showcase his imaginative handling of instrumental and tonal colour.

Boccherini’s prodigious talent as a cellist is apparent in the virtuosic cello sonatas and concertos, which call for an array of dazzling instrumental techniques, while the Stabat Mater is one of just a handful of vocal works that he wrote during his career. Also included are two discs of mature symphonies, less groundbreaking than those of his contemporaries Mozart and Haydn but equally compelling for their expressive melodies subtle innovations. Over these 37 discs, Boccherini’s works are given outstanding readings by specialists in 18th-century repertoire, with a number of performances on period instruments. The collection is a testament to the enduring charm of the Italian composer’s music, and listeners will cherish the opportunity to rediscover and explore it in greater depth.

The French violinist and composer Jean‐ Baptiste Cartier once said: ‘If God wanted to speak to man through music, he would do so through the works of Haydn; if he wished to listen to music himself, he would choose the works of Boccherini.’ Often considered the finest Italian composer of the Classical era, Luigi Boccherini was not party to the Viennese school of music which was in vogue at the time, and therefore his compositions retain that unmistakable Italian flair, but with modest and subtle brilliance.

His Stabat Mater – written in 1781 and scored for small forces of just soprano and strings – exudes elegance and beauty. While bearing the influence of the Stabat Mater of Pergolesi from 45 years earlier, Boccherini’s composition often delves into the realms of the operatic, thanks to arias such as the passionate and dramatic ‘Quis est homo’ and the agile ‘Cujus animam gementem’.

The Stabat Mater is sung by Italian soprano Barbara Vignudelli, international performer and prizewinner, widely acclaimed for her interpretations of both sacred music and opera. She is joined by the musicians of the Orchestra da Camera ‘Benedetto Marcello’, which is directed by Flavio Emilio Scogna.

Contains notes on the composer and the music.

Sung text included in booklet.

Luigi Boccherini (1743–1805) was an exact contemporary of Josef Haydn, and knew his Austrian colleague well. He also knew the younger Mozart. Although Haydn is credited with developing the String Quartet (Boccherini was himself no slouch when it came to composing quartets), and Mozart likewise with the Quintet, it is Boccherini who can lay claim to establishing the string quintet as a major chamber music form. It is his works that influenced the masterpieces by Mozart, the solitary work by Beethoven, and most importantly, the towering example by Schubert.

As a cellist, Boccherini ensured that the cello had a prominent role in the quintets (the cadenza in the trio of no.4), and especially in the almost vocal, song like writing of the slow movements. The set of six quintets on this CD were published as his opus 27 in Madrid in 1779, and are representative of Boccherini at the peak of his powers – urbane, witty, perfectly crafted, graceful and suave. The listener will easily hear why he was nicknamed ‘Mrs Haydn’ by the violinist Giuseppe Puppo – his music was considered more gentle and feminine than Haydn’s.

This is Volume 7 of a complete cycle of Boccherini Quintets by La Magnifica Comunità for Brilliant Classics

New recording made in 2007

La Magnifica Comunità was founded in 1990, and performs a wide range of repertoire from the baroque and classical periods from sonatas to symphonies and choral works, all on period instruments

Luigi Boccherini (1743–1805) is one of the major figures in 18th century music, and was close to both Haydn and Mozart. The young Austrian admired Boccherini’s music, and his string quintets in particular. Throughout his long career, Boccherini’s style was influenced by composers such as Nardini, Sammartini in his native Italy, Wagenseil and Monn from the Mannheim school, and forward looking composers from France such as Gossec. However, Boccherini was to base himself in Spain at the royal court, and found himself rather cut off from mainstream European musical trends. This caused him to develop his individual style – a mix of Spanish dance influences, and a smooth ‘Latin’ charm that led some commentators to remark that his music was effeminate, and in the words of one violinist Giuseppe Puppo, that he was ‘Haydn’s wife’. This is to miss the point of Boccherini’s style.

Although less dramatic than either Haydn or Mozart, his music does have moments of explosive drama that appear all the more effective when bursting fortissimo from an otherwise calm movement. The harmonic shifts are also surprising and used to great effect. His music is sensuous, passionate and dramatic. The Op.39 Quintets date from 1787 when he was at the court of Friederich Wilhelm II in Berlin. These are important works that rank alongside the chamber music of his great Austrian contemporaries, and Boccherini deserves to be in their company.

A much-underrated composer, Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805) was one of the leading composers of the late 18th century, a friend and colleague of both Haydn and Mozart, and a formidable cello virtuoso. His reputation was such that he was nicknamed ‘Mrs Haydn’ – not in a pejorative sense, the appellation was due to his music sounding Haydnesque, but with a sensual, feminine grace rather than the Sturm und Drang of his Austrian friend’s music.

Although his cello concerti and some of his symphonies remain in the repertoire, it is his chamber music that his reputation today rests, especially the quintets. Boccherini championed this genre, and it was his example that inspired Mozart to compose his quintets. The Op.28 set was composed in 1779 in the Spanish town of Candelada, a time when Boccherini had fallen out with King Carlos III, and was in exile, though still employed by the Infante Don Luis. They are all large-scale 4 movement works.

There is much innovation here – the cross-referencing of movements in these works creates a ‘cyclical’ design. The D minor work (No.5) is a sombre foil to its fellow works, and no.2 bears the inscription ‘Della Disgrazia’ (of his disgrace), a reference to his exile. No.4 has an especially taxing cello part, and No.6 a wonderfully graceful slow movement and a brilliant folk music inspired finale. This is brilliantly written music by a masterful composer at the peak of his creative talent.