Life
Trained at the beginning of the Arcadia period, his long career led him to reach full maturity in an era of great stylistic richness, in which Arcadian solidity merged with the elegance of the Rococo and the new ideas of the Enlightenment.
Born in Lucca in 1690, Francesco Barsanti moved to London in 1714, where he established himself as a talented flautist and oboist. The English capital offered a cosmopolitan environment that favored his career, allowing him to collaborate with important orchestras and musical circles.
Aneddoto
Scotland in music
Barsanti loved to include Scottish folk melodies in his concerts, creating a sonic bridge between his land of origin and his adopted one.Works
His works include Sonatas for flute and basso continuo, Concerti grossi, and a famous collection of Old Scots Tunes, which enjoyed great success in the British world.
His publications were greeted with enthusiasm and contributed to spreading the Italian taste in England and Scotland, adapting it to local traditions.
Briciole di storia
The vices of the Italians
In the middle of the 18th century, Pietro Calepio wrote a Letter on Italian Customs which was translated into French and published in 1728 in the prestigious Bibliothèque Italique. In this text, which became very well known, Calepio did not limit himself to describing Italy in general, but clearly and sincerely denounced various vices of Italian society. Among his harshest criticisms was the poor functioning of educational institutions and, in particular, the idleness in which most of the nobility lived, considered the cause of their dissoluteness. He also denounced the low consideration given to the female role.
Pubblico dominio (Commons)
