Two great violinist-composers...
Date:
02/17/2012 
...were born on the 17th of February. The one on the left, born in 1653 in Fusignano, near Ravenna, led one of the finest orchestras in Italy, taught a generation of distinguished violinist-composers, and contributed enormously to three of the main instrumental genres of the high baroque: the solo sonata, the trio sonata, and the concerto grosso. Decades after his death in 1713, his music was still the object of a virtual cult, especially in England.
The one on the right, born in 1820 in Verviers, Belgium, earned fame far and wide, from London to St. Petersburg to the U.S., from his decades of non-stop performing. His concertos, far from being mere virtuoso fare, earned praise from Berlioz, and merit comparison to the innovative piano concertos of Liszt.
The best of both will come up this morning in WFCR' s classical music. Enjoy!
