Who was Lonati?"

Carlo Ambrosio Lonati (c. 1645-1712) was a violin virtuoso whose life is shrouded in mystery, although Veracini posthumously called him "the greatest violinist of the century. As a favorite of Christina, he conducted the Queen's string orchestra and worked with famous musicians such as Stradella, Pasquini, and the cello virtuoso Lurie, but he was forced to leave Rome after an embezzlement scandal. The young Corelli, who would later lay the foundation of 18th century violin music, replaced him in the queen's service. Lonati's only published work, the "12 Violin Sonatas" (1701), is composed of church and chamber sonatas, following Corelli's "Sonatas Op. 5," but it is not only very technical, with its irregular tuning, heavy tonal techniques, and use of the upper register, and reminding us of his virtuosity, but its melody also has a distinctive charm that belongs to neither of the turn-of-the-century era. The melody also has a unique charm that does not belong to either turn-of-the-century or post-twentieth-century style. The program includes not only the sonatas, but also works that have been attributed to him from manuscripts in Modena and London, as well as a solo work by his colleague in Rome, Carlo Mannelli, of which only one manuscript remains in Turin. The program will be performed in the same venue.