A Look into the life of
Luigi Boccherini; cello virtuoso and composer
Ima Reporter (IR) Signore Boccherini (LB)
IR: Thank you Signore Boccherini, for allowing us to
get a few insights on your life as one of the great cellists in history, it is
an honor.
LB: Oh Signorina, it is a grande piacere to
be speaking with you this fine day! And I must say that being approached for an
interview and dazzled with your glowing compliments urges me to say that I am
the honored one. Grazie mille per
questa opportunità!
IR: Well, let’s get down to business!
IR: 1. Tell us about where you’re from and give us
some info about your family background.
LB: I was born on the 19th of February,
1743, in Lucca, Italy. Lucca is a small provincia in Tuscany, where musicalità had
become increasingly in service for religious and political times of celebration.
However, those hardworking maestri of their beloved craft receive very little
and inconsistent payments for their efforts. This is the situation my family
often found themselves in. My padre, Leopoldo Boccherini, was a singular doppio
bassista (“Encyclopedia
Brittanica Online”) who had to support a growing family
under such artistically-confining circumstances.
My madre Maria
Santa Boccherini, gave birth to a total of five children, two of which were
born before me, the two being my elder sorella Maria Ester, and my fratello Giovanni
Gastone. In 1745 my sorella Matilda was born and in 1748, Riccardo Gonzaga came
into the world. We, although being a close and adoring family, were severely
financially constricted preceding Riccardo’s birth, when padre eventually made
a petition to the Signoria della città which was given to us much to our
happiness. Afterwards, it was much easier for my father to support us in his
given trade. (Rothschild, 1965)
IR: 2. What events in your childhood introduced your
love and talent for music and the cello?
LB: As I mentioned previously, my padre was a fantastico musicista, and because of this, my siblings
and I were raised in an environment deeply saturated in a love for music. Our
padre would often play for us on his contrabbasso, and my fratelli, sorelle and
I would watch intently, learning music through his playing. We were all greatly
encouraged to delve into our artistic interests, and we did so gladly. This
world that I was raised in was what gave me the opportunity to learn of my
talent and to take every chance I received to pursue this talent. It was not until I was 5 however when I
discovered my vero amore della musica. (Rothschild, 1965)
Those times when my padre would play for us,
it was not always on the contrabasso, on occasion he would play for us on this
other instrument, that struck me in way that has never seen an equal in all my
life. This instrument my padre would play for us would be the violoncello. It
immediately cast its incantesimo on me, and I continuously bombarded my padre
with questions of the violoncello, and often requested him to play for me.
Eventually, and to my delight, he began giving me lessons. (“Encyclopedia
Brittanica, Online”)
IR: 3.What an inspirational father you had! So,
tell me what mentors you had during your musical training and how they inspired
and affected you.
LB: From when I was
5 anni, to when I was 9 anni, my padre shared with me his knowledge of the
violoncello. Now, and as I say this I do not mean to sound egoista; but once I
reached my ninth year of age and fourth year of violoncello studies, it became
evident to my padre that I had surpassed his abilità musicali e tecniche presso
il violoncello. I remember my padre becoming increasingly amazed and nonplussed
by my quick learning, and he hurried to find another precettore that could move
forward with my studies. (Rothschild, 1965)
The man who was to be my new precettore was
Abbate Vanucci, maestro di cappella. I would go along with Giovanni Gastone to
the seminario di San Martino, where I
was given intensive violoncello instruction by Vanucci, then later I would
study my academics with my fratello. I learned much from Vanucci, he aided me
much in my knowledge of violoncello and composizione. However, it seemed that
as I gathered my musical expertise at a speed that soon outran even this
maestro’s knowledge, and at thirteen my padre was searching for another
precettore that could give me fresh material and new skills to absorb. The
precettore my padre believed to be adequate to my needs was sadly in the then
quite unfamiliar city of Roma. This great maestro was Costanzi, a celebrated
violoncellista, I was required to play for him in order to gain his teachings.
He was molto colpito, and I moved to Roma to study under him, with my famiglia
remaining in Lucca. (Rothschild, 1965)
IR: 4. As you were
learning the cello and becoming a professional cellist, what was the musical
world like around you?
LB: As a child
living in Lucca, Muscians were in demand for many different celebrations and
occasions, however they did not receive good payment for their efforts. This
was clearly delle Nazioni Unite realtà sleale, but it was a fact of life.
Musicians had to either adapt themselves to living with this inconsistent
lifestyle and the snobbery from people who looked down upon art as a
profession, or turn their backs on their passion. Which was clearly out of the
question for true artists.
However, once I was transferred to Roma for
my violoncello studies with Costasnzi, I found myself in this amazing center of
art and music, musicians from all over the world traveling to live and immerse
themselves in this whole new world. In Roma, there were many young boys who
shared my interest in music and we would discuss our favorite artists and
various compositions that we were studying. There were also many opportunities
for me to search for and discover new music, I would often wander around the
city and indulge in listening to le sinfonie e cantanti di cappelle locali. And
then, maybe...a year later, my padre and I were offered positions as doppio
bassista e violoncellista in the orchestra of the Imperial Theatre in Vienna.
We traveled to Vienna, and there I found unbelievable opportunities for myself
as a violoncellista, and many members of the Viennese court took a liking to my
playing, which allowed me to pursue my craft in a way that had never happened
before. (Rothschild,1965)
Later
in life however, when I was well established as il violoncellista e compositore
professionale, I was employed as a compositore for Don Luis Infante di Spagna a
Madrid in 1770, with the authority of King Carlos III of Spagna
(“luigi-boccherini.org”). And for two years, I experienced a lifestyle with
every imaginable luxury, funded by la famiglia reale spagnola. However, in
1772, King Carlos’ son, the prince of the Asturias disliked the primo violino
part of a series of quintets I had recently conceived, and requested me to
change it. In a moment of fury and
loathing I replied “Sire, before pronouncing such a judgement it is necessary
to understand music.” (Rothschild 1965) Naturally, I was promptly removed from
the regale famiglia occupazione and would not return to the spagnolo court for
nine years.So you see, many people didn’t view music as a legitimate profession,
so much as a service that they could call upon at their own convenience in such
a way as to suit themselves.
IR: 5. That is most certainly an outrage! I’m really
glad that the world’s changed in that aspect. So, did current cultural,
economic, and political occurrences have an effect on your compositions or
performance?
LB: During the course of my life, finances were an
ever changing issue. There were times when I was living in quaint modesty;
while there were other times when I was living as an aristocrat would; and
other times when I was but a small step above living homeless on the streets of
Spagna. So honestly, I composed out of love for the forma d’arte, but also
because the income each project gained was a financial necessity for my life. I would often write assoli, quartetti, quintetti etc. on request from various
patroni who would give me compensation in return for these compositions. An
example would be during the late 1790’s when I was approached by the Catalan
Marquis de Benavant,who, being a chitarrista, wished for pieces that would be
examples of shining chittarra music and introduce more of the chittarra assoli sound. We made
the arrangement that in return for an income, I would compose pieces of this
design. With this in mind I created several pieces, such as my series of
chittarra quintetti (G. 445-453) which has since become quite well known. (“luigi-boccherini.org”)
Another, slightly more impressionante
example, would be my employment with Lucien Bonaparte, the brother of the future Emperor of France: Napoleon Bonaparte. He was working as ambassador in Spagna,
and working as his compositore / direttore d'orchestra, granted me handsome
financial benefits during his stay in Spagna. (“luigi-boccherini.org”) So
besides my own love and desire to create music and make new discoveries in the
ways it can be created and played, the writing of my music was largely
economical.
However, the environment had an immense
impact on my music. Per esempio, when I composed my piece: “La Musica Notturna
delle Strade di Madrid”, I received the inspiration from observing Madrid at
night. The various sounds that drift throughout the city that aren’t heard or
appreciated during the day. I tried to recreate the sounds using a mere quartetto
d'archi, sounds like the singers in the streets, the birds and church bells, the
lone chitarrista on a street corner. All through the sounds of instruments, I
was attempting to representing the beauty of everyday life. It is one of my proudest works.
(“edisonsilvertust.com”)
IR: 6. What do you believe to be your major
accomplishments as an influential musician, and what were your methods of work?
LB: As a violoncellista, I feel that I have made
advances in the technical playing and the general importance of the instrument
in group and symphonic style situations. When I was on tour with a group, there
were a few instances when one of the violinisti would fall ill, and they would
be in need of a replacement. In light of those circumstances, I learned to play
the violino parts to pitch on my own violoncello. Previously, violoncellisti
had experience playing in that section of the fingerboard, but not quite to the
extent of playing vast sections of music. I can say that certainly made an
advance in that technique, and in that sense changed the style in which the
violoncello is played. (Luigi Boccherini, Absolute Astronomy)
Another
issue was that the violoncello di position in oh…una sinfonia; didn’t extend
beyond much more than the accompaniment and bassi, with an occasional grasp of
the melody and assoli. However, being a violoncellista myself, I didn’t hold
the same views. I wanted it so that the violoncello was seen a just as much of
a key instrument, just as the violino has been for many years. In my own
compositions, particularly the quintetti and group pieces in that same style, I have striven to give the violoncello a brighter, more important position, versus the
background bassi it is usually used for. This was an aspect of music that I
focused on my entire career, and I hope that it has had the effect that I was
working towards all those years.
IR: 7. What were some key opportunities and
occurrences in your life that led to turning points in your personal life and
music?
LB: Being raised in such a musically knowledgeable
and supportive family really gave me the opportunity to discover my talent and
meaning in life. Without them, and without my beloved padre in particular, I
have no way of saying who I would have become. My padre’s determination to find
a precettore that could withstand my advanced learning abilities for more than
a year was admittedly difficult, but yet he went as far as Roma and Vienna to
aid me in my learning. Also, my siblings-all so very talented in their own
ways-were all supportive when they could be, and came to my aid when they
could, as I did for them. (Rothschild 1965) My childhood had an unfathomable
effect on the man I was to become and the ventures I was to accomplish.
Once I
arrived in the places such as Roma and Vienna, the people I happened upon and
who I learned from, taught, and made music with were all immense helps in my
life. From them, I was able to discover things in music that, from my own point
of view; I would not previously have had the ability to see if it weren’t for
an outsider. I received such insight from Josef Haydn, who over the years I
shared some correspondence with and even shared our approaches towards
composing. In composing, our opinions would both run parallel and differ, which
made for interesting discoveries of us as musicisti. (Rothschild 1965)
IR: 8. Were there hardships that you had to overcome
in order to be the musician you are remembered as?
LB:Besides
being the musician I am remembered as, I was also a human being who dealt with
the fierce blows and times of joy that are experienced in everyday life.
Financially, my lifestyle was never consistent or showed promise of permanency.
It was always a struggle, continuing with the work I loved and receiving
justified payment for it. I had to sacrifice a sturdy and reliable lifestyle in
order to be happy with my profession of choice. This is, in no known case to my
knowledge, the incorrect course of action. (luigi-boccherini.org”)
Also,
throughout my life, I repeatedly was struck with the severe blow of the loss of
loved ones. In 1767, my padre was lost to me forever, and only many months of
touring with cherished friends could soften the pain. Later I lost my beloved
moglie Clementina very suddenly, and over the course of the next 8 years lost
three of my much loved figlie Joaquina, Mariana, and Isabel. These multiple
cherished people suddenly lost from me made it extremely hard for me to focus
on composing, and therefore receiving an income, and the time period was a
gruesome one over all. Then, in 1792, only two years after Isabel’s death, my 2nd
moglie, Maria Pilar, and my only remaining figlia Teresa, died within months of
each other. (“luigi-boccherini.org”) They left me with my two figli and an
inescapable grief which effected my mentally and physically. I was often ill
and found myself increasingly weaker as time went on, without relief. So, yes,
through life I went through much, and it became very hard to remain the person
I was before tragedy struck. (Rothschild 1965)
IR: 9. Who are some figures in the world of music
and other career fields that have inspired you?
LB:During my time as a student in Roma, I quite
enjoyed listening and taking note of church symphonies and quartette. I also
deeply enjoyed Allegri’s Miserere, which throughout my life, inspired me and
held a special place in my heart. I was also very fond of Palestrina, and
listened to this music in chapels all over Roma. The other boys and I would
often share music tastes and discoveries at the music school: Tartini we were
attending. I learned much from my time there. (Rothschild 1965)
As an
adult, I was very much inspired by the works of Haydn, and I believe the
interest in his music was a mutual feeling for him as well with my work. We
were lifelong correspondents, and our contrasting ideas did much to challenge
the others musical knowledge. This sort of correspondence is vital to learning
more about ourselves, and gives us the opportunity to become wiser and more
open minded in our fields. Also I was a close friend of the composer Playel; we
had correspondence for at least 7 years. We developed a friendship that led us
to share many personal issues, which led to great musical creations and
discoveries for me. So not only did my respect for these musicians lead to much
musical creation, the relationships I developed over the years was vital to the
music I wrote, and the way I am remembered today. (Rothschild 1965)
IR: 10. What are some personal stories that best
portray who you are, a man who has become extremely influential in the world of
music and cello playing?
LB:Now Ima!
Do not make fun as I announce more devotion to my family, but it is all there
is. For the truth is, the most important aspect of inspiration for me always
has been my padre and my siblings, and my children and wives. I learned of my
love and gift of music through cherished padre, and I owe him everything. For
years we worked together with music, he was more than just a padre or a
teacher, he was a fellow musician, with whom I became the person that the world
knows of and speaks of today. My siblings supported me, and I hope I supported
them in their various fields of art. We made each other strong, and if my life
were lacking that, I would to be lacking in inspiration. (Rothschild, 1965)
As for the
family who I had in adulthood, they were vital in my personal drive as a
musician. They were my purpose for making a good living off of this passion I
had, even though it was exceptionally difficult at times. And as many of them
left me for Dio in cielo, I felt as if I was losing sight of myself. It was
only them who kept me going and made me who I was. So, as for the personal experience,
I can say it is the unfathomable love and devotion I felt towards my family and
how they made me…Luigi Boccherini.
IR: My goodness, Signori, you are so inspirational
and are the real deal when it comes a lover and maker of music. Thank you for this
amazing interview!
LB: e
grazie perdere reporter, per le domande meravigliose!
Bibliography:
1. de Rothschild, Germaine. Luigi Boccherini His
Life and Work. 1. 1. London: Oxford University Press, 1965. 154. Print.
2. "Luigi Boccherini." Encyclopædia
Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc.,
2012. Web. 01 Mar. 2012. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/70874/Luigi-Boccherini>.
3. "String Quintet No.60 (2Vc) in C Major,
G.324 La Musica Notturna delle Strade di Madrid including La Ritirata di
Madrid." editionsilvertrust.com. Edition Silvertrust, n.d. Web. 13
Feb 2012. <http://www.editionsilvertrust.com/boccherini-La-Ritirata-di-Madrid.htm>.
4. "LUIGI BOCCHERINI (1743-1805) THE
CULMINATION OF CLASSICAL MUSIC IN SOUTHERN EUROPE ." luigi-boccherini.org.
N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb 2012.
<http://www.luigi-boccherini.org/en/biografia.php>.
5. Luigi Boccherini. Stuttgarter Kammerorchester
- La Musica Notturna delle strade di Madrid! 2009. Video. youtube.comWeb. 2
Mar 2012. <http://www.youtube.com
6. "Luigi Boccherini; Absolute Astronomy."
Web. 2 Mar 2012.
<http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Luigi_Boccherini>.
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