Great Music - La Folia 4

This has been my first week of bloging and I've learned one thing:  it's easier to do during the week than the week-end.  It's been a busy day, but I didn't want to leave my loyal readers without the next installment in our journey through the past three hundred years of the Spansih  dance tune, La Folia.  Today's composition is from the Italian composer Francesco Geminani.

Geminani comes  to La Folia naturally.  He was born in Lucca in 1687.  Geminani's musical ability was recognized early on and he studied under Alessandro Scarlatti (La Folia - Part 2).  Geminani was a violin prodigy and studied later under Archangelo Corelli (La Folia - Part 1).  Having learned his art at the hands of such illustrious masters, Geminani was ready at the tender age of 24 to assume the post of opera conductor in Naples.  He continued to produce much music, including concerti, operas and orehestral work, which spread his reputation throughout Europe.  In 1714, he went to England where he played his violin concerti with none other than George Friedrich Handel at the keyboard.  Geminani, well connected and acclaimed, continued to compose, travel and perform, right up to his death in 1762.

Geminani's La Folia comes in the form of a Concerto Grosso.  In a homage to his teacher, Corelli, Geminani arranged a set of Corelli's violin sonatas as orchestral works, including the D Minor La Folia sonata.  Enjoy!