Francesco Saverio Geminiani, Italian Baroque composer, was born on this day the 5th of December, 1687. This makes him today’s second Baroque Birthday Boy!

Francesco Geminiani, c.1739 by Andrea Soldi. Photo: © The Foundling Museum, Gerald Coke Handel Collection

Geminiani was a talented youth who excelled at the violin and was tutored by two great Baroque composers, Alessandro Scarlatti (who, funnily enough, was related to yet another Baroque composer born on this day – Francesco Scarlatti) and Arcangelo Corelli. Not bad, eh?

When he was older, he travelled around Europe, teaching and writing music, and lived in Paris, Dublin, London, and other cities. Eh bien, now, let’s hear some of his music:

This video has Geminiani’s “Concerto Grosso in G minor,” (with lovely images of Canaletto paintings, to boot!):

Geminiani’s, “La Foresta Incantata:”

Violin Sonata II, Op.5:

Here is some of his work for harpsichord:

Geminiani died in 1762.

The Foundling Museum has an exhibition about Geminiani now on, which they describe, “marks the 250th anniversary of his death and includes the Museum’s portrait of Geminiani, manuscripts and printed music exhibited here for the first time.” For information about this exciting exhibition, click here.

For Francesco Geminiani, Opera Omnia, go to: http://www.francescogeminiani.com/