Suites and Variations

“Anyone with the good fortune to have played or studied under the guidance of the renowned Bernardo Pasquini in Rome, or who has at least heard or seen him play, has been privileged to observe the truest, noblest, and most beautiful style of playing and accompanying.” (Francesco Gasparini, L’armonico pratico al cimbalo, Venice, 1708, p. 62)

Bernardo Pasquini (1637–1710) is considered as the most important Italian composer of keyboard music between Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583–1643) and Domenico Scarlatti (1685–1757). Together with Alessandro Melani (1639–1703), Alessandro Stradella (1644–1682) and Alessandro Scarlatti (1660–1725), he was also one of the most successful composers of Roman oratorios and operas. And as a harpsichordist he was a sorts of alter ego of the highly revered Archangelo Corelli (1652–1713). Both often worked together and, along with Alessandro Scarlatti, were honourably admitted into the Accademia dell’Arcadia on 26 April 1706. Numerous pupils made the pilgrimage from all over Europe to study with Pasquini, including Francesco Gasparini, Giovanni Maria Casini, Georg Muffat, Johann Philipp Krieger and Domenico Zipoli. George Frideric Handel and Domenico Scarlatti must also have known the composer and his playing.