Baldassare Galuppi was born on the Italian island of Burano in 1706, and died in Venice in 1785. His life was an extremely eventful and productive one for the son of a humble barber and violinist in the village band. After his father gave him his first musical education, he composed his first opera at the age of 16, following which he took up studies with Lotti. A steady flow of operas followed, and Goldoni became his regular librettist – distinguishing his operas from a literary viewpoint as well as a musical one.

He lived in London from 1741-3, and in St Petersburg from 1765-8. He later became Vice Chapel Master in St Marks, Venice in 1748 before becoming Chapel Master in 1762.

Apart from Galuppi’s vast body of work for the opera house, he was also a prolific composer of concertos and chamber music. These CDs contain his entire harpsichord concertos, which are generally in the traditional fast–slow–fast pattern of the classical concerto. Cadenzas had started to become fashionable in the mid 18th century, and the soloist has taken the liberty of utilising cadenzas composed by Muzio Clementi for use in these recordings.

This set offers the complete harpsichord concertos, small-scale works, full of brilliant virtuosity and wit, and excellently played by Roberto Loreggian and his group. Loreggian is universally praised for his great achievements with the Frescobaldi Edition.