A Biographical Dictionary of Fiddlers di A. Mason Clarke
Biographical Dictionary of Fiddlers. 5 5
1715, and rose to be an excellent performer. He succeeded Corbett as first violin at the Opera House, about the year 1718, and led the opera band for many years ; but growing old, Handel, who was then running operas, had a desire to place a young man named John Clegg, a pupil of Dubourg, at the head of the orchestra. Castrucci, however, was unwilling to quit his post as leader, upon which Handel, in order to convince him of his inability to fill it any longer, composed a concerto, in which the second part required an equal degree of execution with the first; this he gave to Clegg, who in the performance of it gave such proofs of his superiority as reduced Castrucci to the necessity of yielding the palm to his rival. Oppressed with years, he sunk into oblivion, and died in great poverty. It is Castrucci who was at one time thought to be the fiddler represented in Hogarth's print of " The Enraged Musician," but the fiddler therein depicted now turns out to be Festing. The compositions of this unfortunate fiddler are two books of violin sonatas, and twelve violin concertos. Castrucci also invented a stringed instrument, the violetta manna, upon which he performed with great skill. Handel used the instrument in his operas Sosarme and Orlando.
• Celestine, Eligio, born at Rome
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Dictionary Fiddlers Corbett Opera House Handel John Clegg Dubourg Handel Clegg Castrucci Castrucci Hogarth The Enraged Musician Festing Sosarme Orlando Eligio Rome Castrucci The Castrucci Handel
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