The twelve Capricci op. 25 by the cello virtuoso and composer Alfredo Piatti, who performed with the likes of Liszt and Mendelssohn Bartholdy, are a must for all advanced cello players. Sir Yehudi Menuhin compared them to the Cello Suites by J. S. Bach, referring to these two works as the “Old and New Testament” of cello literature. Our Urtext edition of the Capricci (HN 746) – the first ever of its kind – is now available as a practical study edition and should be on every cellist’s shelves! And for those who wish to put the “Old Testament” alongside it, the Bach Suites can also be found in our catalogue (HN 9666).
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About the composer
Alfredo Piatti
An Italian cellist and composer. Described by Franz Liszt as the “Paganini of the cello,” he was among the most sought-after virtuosos on his instrument. Compositionally he devoted himself primarily to the cello, for which he wrote concerti, solo pieces, sonatas, and transcriptions of popular works.
| 1822 | Born in Bergamo on January 8, the son of an orchestra director. He receives his first musical instruction on the violin from his father, later from his great uncle Gaetano Zanetti on the cello. |
| 1831 | After his first concerts he is already deputising for his father in the orchestra. |
| 1832 | At the Milan Conservatory he becomes a pupil of Vincenzo Merighi. |
| 1837 | On September 21 he makes his debut in Milan. |
| 1838 | On April 7 he gives a concert at Milan’s La Scala. |
| 1838–44 | Concert tours throughout Europe. |
| 1844 | Under Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s direction he performs in London on June 24. |
| from 1846 | He settles in London, where he shares the stage with, among others, Clara Schumann, Joseph Joachim, Edvard Grieg, Henry Vieuxtemps, and Hector Berlioz as well as the Joachim Quartet. He teaches at the Royal Academy of Music. |
| 1855 | He hones his compositional skills with Bernhard Molique. |
| 1875 | His Twelve Capricci for Cello, op. 25, are published. |
| 1901 | Dies in Crocetto di Mozzo on July 19. |