Life
His training took place at a fertile cultural crossroads where Rococo and Enlightenment coexisted, while his full artistic maturity was expressed in the new taste of Neoclassicism.
Carlo Besozzi was born in Dresden in 1738, the son of Antonio Besozzi, and grew up in an extraordinarily fertile musical environment. His training was marked by the family tradition, which introduced him to the oboe and composition—tools with which he would establish himself as one of the most celebrated figures of his generation.
Aneddoto
The applause of Paris
During a tour in Paris, Carlo Besozzi received thunderous applause for his virtuoso performances, so much so that some chroniclers wrote of him as the "prince of the oboe."Works
Carlo Besozzi composed numerous concertos for oboe and orchestra, works that combined technical brilliance with melodic cantability. These pieces, often written for himself as a soloist, highlighted the potential of the instrument and were appreciated for their elegance and effectiveness.
Alongside the concertos, he left chamber quartets and sonatas, which circulated among musicians and cultured amateurs, contributing to the spread of the Italian oboe school in Germany and France. His compositions were distinguished by fluid writing and attention to the dialogue between instruments.
Carlo Besozzi's works consolidated the family's fame as one of the most important dynasties of European instrumentalists of the 18th century, ensuring his figure a prominent place in the history of chamber and concert music.
Briciole di storia
The Academy of Fists
Giovanni Battista Biffi was a prominent exponent of the Lombard Enlightenment and was among the founders of the famous Accademia dei Pugni (Academy of Fists) in Milan around 1760, together with Cesare Beccaria and the Verri brothers. The name of that Academy derived from the fact that the members were so passionate and vehement in their intellectual discussions that they often literally came to blows (fists) to defend their progressive theses.
Pubblico dominio (Commons)
