Role

:

Composer

Country

:

Netherlands

Birth

:

1687 in Alkmaar, The Netherlands

Death

:

1761 in London, England

Period

:

Baroque

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Concerto

 

Willem de Fesch was a Dutch composer and violinist who lived from 1687 to 1761. He was born in Alkmaar, a city in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands. His father, Pieter de Fesch, was a carpenter and amateur musician who played the violin and the trumpet. Willem showed an early talent for music and began studying the violin with his father at a young age. In 1704, when Willem was 17 years old, he moved to Amsterdam to study with the renowned violinist and composer Jean-Baptiste Lully. Lully was a Frenchman who had settled in Amsterdam and was the leader of the city's French opera company. Under Lully's tutelage, Willem became a skilled violinist and began composing his own music. In 1710, Willem moved to London, where he quickly established himself as a leading musician. He became a member of the orchestra at the Queen's Theatre and also played in the orchestra at the Drury Lane Theatre. He also began composing music for the stage, including operas, masques, and incidental music for plays. One of Willem's most famous works is his Concerto in G major for violin and string orchestra, which he composed in the early 1720s. The concerto is a virtuosic showcase for the solo violin, with fast runs, trills, and arpeggios that demonstrate the performer's technical skill. The concerto was published in Amsterdam in 1725 and became popular throughout Europe. Willem also composed a number of sonatas for violin and basso continuo, which were published in London in the 1720s and 1730s. These sonatas are notable for their elegant melodies and lively rhythms, and they demonstrate Willem's skill as a composer of chamber music. In addition to his work as a composer and performer, Willem was also a teacher. He taught the violin to a number of prominent musicians, including the English composer Thomas Arne and the Italian violinist Felice Giardini. He also wrote a treatise on violin playing, which was published in London in 1730. Willem remained in London for the rest of his life, and he continued to compose and perform until his death in 1761. He was buried in the churchyard of St. Anne's Church in Soho, London. Today, Willem de Fesch is remembered as one of the leading composers of the Baroque era. His music is characterized by its elegance, its virtuosity, and its lively rhythms, and it continues to be performed and recorded by musicians around the world.

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