Achille Simonetti (12 June 1857 – 19 November 1928) was a prominent Italian violinist and composer, mainly resident in England and Ireland. He was mainly known as a chamber musician and teacher.
Life
Born in Turin on 12 June 1857, Simonetti left his family in Bologna (this can be gleaned from his letter to Mr Hill (of Hills and Sons) written in 1922,) and completed his studies under Francesco Bianchi, Eugenio Cavallini, Giuseppe Gamba, Charles Dancla (regarded as the last exponent of the classical French school of violin playing), and Camillo Sivori, the last pupil of Niccolo Paganini.
Simonetti died aged 71 in London on 19 November 1928.
Career
Simonetti came to England in 1891, embarking on a career as chamber musician. He became part of the first London Trio, an endeavour which occupied him from 1901 to 1912, along with cellist William Whitehouse and pianist Amina Goodwin.
From 1912 to 1919, he was a professor of violin at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and served as a teacher for many distinguished violinists, including Walter Starkie.
Simonetti was also an early champion of the BrahmsViolin Concerto, and wrote a cadenza for the work.
Selected compositions
Orchestral
Ronde joyeuse for string orchestra
Sérénade for string orchestra
Meditazione for small orchestra
Chamber music
Allegretto Romantico in D minor for viola and piano (published 1897)
Andante mélancolique for violin (or cello) and piano
Ballata in C minor for viola and piano (published 1897)
Berceuse for violin and piano
Canzonetta for violin and piano
Capriccio for violin and piano
Cavatina for cello and piano
Elegia for cello and piano
Furlana, Italian Dance for violin and piano
Madrigale in D major for violin and piano (1901) - wrote text and music? - (Different?) music has been set to this by Pietro Floridia.
Mazurka for violin and piano
Minuetto for violin and piano
Notturnino for violin and piano
Rêverie for violin and piano
Romanza for violin and piano
Romanzetta for violin and piano
Sonata No. 2, Op. 9, for violin and piano in C major (published 1894)
Scènes montagnardes, Op. 12, for violin and piano
String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op. 14 (published 1904)
String Quartet No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 16 (published c.1904)
Piano
Caprice-Mazurka for piano
Trois Morceaux caractéristiques (3 Character Pieces) for piano