Italian Legacies: Geminiani and his English Contemporaries
Academy of Ancient Music, Bojan Čičić, Anna Devin
Milton Court, 7 February 2025

Arne Overture in G major No. 3
Mudge Concerto No. 1 in D major
Geminiani Concerto Grosso in C major Op. 7 No. 3
Linley Music for The Tempest
Boyce Overture from Peleus and Thetis
Linley Violin Concerto in F major
JC Bach La Tempesta

Billed as “Swinging London meets Italian flair, 18th-century style”, this imaginative concert from the Academy of Ancient Music, directed from the violin by Bojan Čičić, took us on a tour of the music scene in 18th-century Britain: a place where “everything was up for grabs”. The blurb continued – “A nation was remaking its identity – embracing global fashions and diverse cultures, and locked in passionate debate about its relationship with Europe. English composers wrote Italian operas, the spirit of Shakespeare met the inspiration of Corelli and Vivaldi, and Bach’s youngest son carved out a musical niche that was entirely his own”.

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