Life
His training took place at a fertile cultural crossroads where Arcadia, Rococo, and the Enlightenment intersected, while his long career led him to reach maturity in an era in which, alongside the Rococo style and Enlightenment thought, the new and more severe ideals of Neoclassicism emerged.
Born in Forlì in 1724, Giovanni Battista Cirri showed great talent for the cello from a young age, which led him to perfect his studies in Bologna and Rome. He entered the Accademia Filarmonica in Bologna and embarked on an ecclesiastical career as a canon, without ever abandoning his musical activity.
From 1764 he settled in London, where he established himself as a cello virtuoso and teacher, linking himself to the Royal Opera House and the English musical scene. There he collaborated with Johann Christian Bach and Carl Friedrich Abel, participating in London concert life. His sonatas and concertos contributed to the spread of the cello repertoire in Europe.
Returning to Italy, he was chapel master in Forlì, continuing to compose until his death in 1808. His figure remains central in the history of the cello as a solo instrument.
Aneddoto
The cello in London
In London concerts, he was among the first to perform cello solos, surprising the audience with the novelty of the instrument as a soloist.Works
He composed numerous sonatas for cello and basso continuo, concertos for cello and orchestra, and chamber duets and trios. Among the works published in London are collections of sonatas dedicated to English nobles and aristocrats, which helped consolidate his international fame.
Briciole di storia
Pubblico dominio (Commons)
