Besozzi, Alessandro
Besozzi, Alessandro
Besozzi, Alessandro, celebrated Italian oboist; b. Parma, July 22, 1702; d. Turin, July 26, 1793. He was a musician at the ducal chapel in Parma (1728–31). He made concert tours with his brother, Girolamo (see 3 below), appearing with him in Paris in 1735; he then lived in Turin. He publ. numerous trio sonatas for Flute, Violin, and Cello, 6 violin sonatas (with Basso Continuo), etc. Other members of the family who specialized in wind instruments were: (1) Antonio Besozzi, oboist, nephew of Alessandro (b. Parma, 1714; d. Turin, 1781); (2) Carlo Besozzi, oboist, son of Antonio (b. Naples, c. 1738; d. Dresden, March 22, 1791); played in the Dresden orch. (1754); wrote several oboe concertos; (3) Girolamo Besozzi, bassoonist, brother of Alessandro (b. Parma, April 17, 1704; d. Turin, 1778); (4) Gaetano Besozzi, oboist, nephew of Alessandro (b. Parma, 1727; d. London, 1794); (5) Girolamo Besozzi, oboist, son of Gaetano (b. Naples, c. 1750; d. Paris, 1785); (6) Henri Besozzi, flutist, son of Girolamo; played at the Opéra Comique; (7) Louis-Désiré , son of Henri (b. Versailles, April 3, 1814; d. Paris, Nov. 11, 1879), a student of Le Sueur and Barbereau; he won the Prix de Rome in 1837, defeating Gounod.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire