ClassicalLuigi Boccherini
Luigi Boccherini was born in Lucca, Italy.
Luigi Boccherini’s life
The big moments of this life, and what was happening in the world at the same time.
A life at a glance
- 1743👶 Birth
Born in Lucca on 19 February, son of a double-bass player
- 1752🌍 Meanwhile
Franklin studies lightning with a kite
- 1756📚 Trainingage 13
Cello studies in Rome
- 1757🎩 Careerage 14
Cellist at the Vienna court theatre with his father
- 1767🧳 Journeyage 24
Tour and great success in Paris
- 1770🎩 Careerage 27
Cellist and composer to the Infante Don Luis, the king’s brother
- 1771🎼 Workage 28
Quintet Op. 11 No. 5 with its famous Minuet
- 1776🌍 Meanwhile
United States Declaration of Independence
- 1780🎼 Workage 37
Night Music of the Streets of Madrid
- 1783🌍 Meanwhile
First manned flight in a hot-air balloon
- 1789🏛️ Landmarkage 46
French Revolution
- 1798🎼 Workage 55
Guitar Quintet ‘Fandango’
- 1804🌍 Meanwhile
Napoleon crowned emperor
- 1805🕯️ Deathage 62
Dies in poverty in Madrid on 28 May
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Excerpts of up to 90 seconds, freely licensed recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
Once upon a time…
Luigi Boccherini was born in Lucca, Italy. His dad played the double bass and taught him the cello. At thirteen Luigi was already giving his first concert!
He travelled to Vienna and Paris, then settled in Spain for good. He worked for a prince and lived in a small village at the foot of the mountains.
Boccherini loved writing for small groups of musicians, often with two cellos. His Minuet is one of the best-known tunes in the world. He also imitated the sounds of Madrid at night: bells, soldiers, guitars…
In one of his pieces you even hear castanets, as in a Spanish dance!
Luigi Boccherini’s instruments
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