Giovanni Battista Pescetti

Who was Giovanni Battista Pescetti?

Giovanni Battista Pescetti was an organist and composer. Born in Venice around 1704, he studied under Antonio Lotti for some time. Having spent some time writing operas in and around Venice, he left for London in 1736, becoming director of the Opera of the Nobility in 1737.

After having to leave London when hostility arose against Catholic Italians, he returned to Venice in 1745 and became Second Organist at St Mark's Basilica. He died in Venice.

Pescetti was active as a teacher of composition in Venice; his most famous students being Josef Mysliveček and Antonio Salieri. Although his output consists mainly of operatic works, a considerable amount of Pescetti's compositions were written for harpsichord, some intended to be performed on pipe organ, including his Six Sonatas, composed around 1756. Today, his keyboard sonatas are generally performed on a modern piano, though various recordings exist that use the intended organ.