Carlo Farina

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Carlo Farina (* c. 1600, Mantova; † July, 1639, Vienna) was an Italian composer. conductor and violinist of the Baroque era.

[edit] Life

Farina got his first lessons presumably by his father, who was sonatore di viola at the court of the Gonzaga in Mantua. Later he get further education probably by Salomone Rossi and Giovanni Battista Buonamente. From 1626 to 1629, he worked as concertmaster in Dresden. In Dresden he worked with Heinrich Schütz, who interested him in composing. From 1629 to 1631, he was a prominent member of the electoral court orchestra in Bonn, until he returned to Italy, where he worked in Parma and later in Lucca until 1635. In 1635 he held position at the court of the Prince of Massa and between 1636 and 1637 in Dantzig. From 1638 he lived in Vienna, where he also died of plague probably a year later.

He is considered to be one of the earliest violin virtuosos and he had many contributions to violin technique. In his work Capriccio Stravagante (1627) he used violin to imitate animal sounds like dogs barking or cats fighting.

[edit] Work

During his stay in Dresden he published five volumes with various pieces, among them sonatas for 2, 3, 4 instruments and basso continuo. The pieces have often the same program as the title. Thus he uses Polish dance rhythms in the Sonata La Polaca Hungarian motifs in La Cingara.

[edit] Compositions

• Capriccio Stravagante 1627
• Sonata detta la Polaca (à 3)
• Sonata detta la Capriola (à 3)
• Sonata detta la Moretta (à 3)
• Sonata detta la Franzosina (à 2)
• Sonata detta la Farina (à 2)
• Sonata detta la Greca (à 3)
• Sonata detta la Cingara (à 3)
• Sonata detta la Fiama (à 2)
• Sonata detta la Semplisa (à 3)
• Sonata detta la Desperata (à 2)