Giacob Basevi Cervetto

Twelve Sonatas for Cello and Continuo, Op. II

Giacob Basevi Cervetto

Giacob Basevi detto Cervetto was born in Verona in 1690 and died in London in 1783. He was a member of a prominent Jewish family which included, among other notables, the English statesman Benjamin Disraeli. Cervetto moved from Verona to London in 1739. He quickly established himself as principal cellist in the orchestra of the Drury Lane Theater, a position he held until around 1760, when he relinquished it to his son James, though continuing to play in the orchestra for another ten or fifteen years. From about 1740 to 1760 he published two sets of trio sonatas (including a very early example of works specifically intended for three celli), a collection of cello duos, eight flute sonatas, and eighteen cello sonatas. He was a well-known London character. His son, James (1749?—1837), was also a prominent cellist and composer.
Giacob Cervetto's Opus II, Twelve Solos for a Violoncello with a Thorough Bass for the Harpsichord, was published first by Cervetto himself and subsequently in 1750 by I. Walsh. It is probable that they were first written as much as ten years earlier, since Cervetto advertised for subscriptions soon after his arrival in London. Copies exist in the British Museum and the Frank V. de Bellis Collection in San Francisco.
These sonatas reveal Cervetto as a composer of charm and stature, with a fertile and engaging melodic imagination and a refreshing variety of approach to formal matters. They have both pedagogical and musical interest, ranging from intermediate to quite advanced difficulty. Written by a musician whose life spanned almost a century, they shed light on the transition between two great musical style-periods.
The most current research on Cervetto's life including a correction of his birth date (previously erroneously supposed to be 1681) and resolving the appropriate spelling of his first name (based on his will) can be found in the article "Some Notes on the Life of Jacob Cervetto" by Michael Talbot, Music and Letters, Vol. 94 Issue 2, May 2013, pp. 207-236.

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