Carlo Graziani

Carlo Graziani (1st half of the 18th century-1787) was an Italian composer and cello virtuoso. His compositions reflect both elements of galant style and advancements in cello playing throughout the 18th century. His works are notorious for their passagework, bow dexterity, natural and artificial harmonics, up-bow staccati, scordatura tuning (see Sonata in D), multiple stops, and elaborate dynamic contrast. Though his works are not regularly included in standard repertoire, they serve as excellent primary sources in tracking the development of cello technique throughout the eighteenth-century. Life and career Not much is known about the composer’s early years–including his exact birth and at what age did he exactly move from Asti, Italy. Nothing is known further about the composer’s time in Italy. One can conclude from his employment history and compositional output that the composer accumulated exemplary training enough to assume the role as one of the leading cello virtuosi of his time. By the early 1760s, he arrived in Paris to join the orchestra of La Pouplinière–revealing that he already garnered impressive skill and fame by the mid-eighteenth century. Graziani’s time with La