The Opus18C Project

A study on Giuseppe Torelli's most famous work, draws attention and suggests answers to unresolved issues regarding the concerto.

VIEW THE COMPOSER COLUMN. Brief profiles of oft-mentioned yet rarely heard 18C composers. Each profile features a mini-bio, a portrait or image (where possible), a brief description of the composer's compositional techniques, and an mp3 file of my own conducting, usually a piece by the composer that has not yet been recorded by any artist. As a part-time project the column is no doubt fraught with errors and omissions, but because it is in HTML format I am able to update it as I learn more. Readers are humbly urged to send in corrections, comments, questions, etc.

Other columns will be added if I can cajole anyone else into collaborating: opera, chamber music, conducting, performance practice, specific instruments, compositional styles, historical events in music, historical performers, and more.

Even today, glancing at concert programmes and best selling CDs, one would think that Mozart and Haydn were the only two survivors of a late eighteenth century composer-killing plague. Composers of the preceding generation were even less fortunate: we have all heard of the so-called 'Galant', but few can identify what characterises this idiom or what significant composers and works are associated with this term. Going back still further (stylistically), even the celebrated High Baroque remains riddled with scores of composers known only by name.

Many such 18C composers were highly influential during their own lifetimes and wrote music every bit as worthy as those now commonly performed; yet they have attracted remarkably litte attention, and the bulk of their music has not even been properly catalogued. Collectively, this neglected body of compositions can not only provide us with valuable insight into the development of music during that time period, but also stands to broaden the total classical repertoire in nearly every major genre.

Thus, the 18th Century Opus Project hopes to expand performance repertoire by focusing on the music and lives of High Baroque, Galant, and Classicist figures who have hitherto not received much attention. Who were these 'famous' musicians? What were the circumstances under which they lived and worked? What exactly did their music sound like? Opus represents my attempt to answer these and other questions regarding eighteenth century musical life. Thank you for visiting my project and I hope you enjoy it.