A Berkeley piano teacher would recommend for her students: No. 58 Allegro, No. 71 'reminds me of Scarlatti', No. 72 'very pretty with a cadenza and No. 73, 'very dramatic'. CD Baby customers can also check out the mysterious No. 54 Maestoso and the very tender No. 47 Amoroso, and No. 49 Pastorale with the surprise middle part. Web-site: fpricci.com In November of 1778, F. P. Ricci placed an announcement in a Hague newspaper that his 'Recueil' would be available for 'seven Dutch nickels at the beginning of 1779.' (1) Many music historians consider this 100 piece work to be the first piano-forte method. In the introduction, Ricci writes: 'The same zeal that drives your efforts to guide your students has compelled me to follow with my own, the order that you will find in this 'Recueil de Connaissances Elementaires pour le Forte-piano'. The success that this work has always brought me has led me to publish it, and I dare to hope that it will meet with your approval.' Ricci was born In the beautiful town of Como, Italy at the foot of the Swiss Alps in 1732. After he finished his musical education, he was ordained a priest, and subsequently he was appointed Maestro di Cappella at the Cathedral of Como. His church superiors granted Ricci autonomy, allowing him to seek his fortune abroad. He lived a long and fruitful life of 85 years as a touring musician, composer, musical entrepreneur and well loved music teacher. The music on this CD is from the 'Recueil' and he probably wrote the pieces for his students. Recently with the aid of the Italian musicologist Oscar Tajetti, 200 letters written to Ricci have come to light. In her biography of him based on these letters, 'Mon Cher Ami', Helen Metzelaar describes how two of his students in Milan, Marianne and Julie Imbonate wrote to Ricci: 'We wait impatiently for your arrival...for the pleasure of playing the Musette together'. Another letter from the Como Archive is from La Salazar de Los Porta who writes: 'I am flattered that you will have the graciousness to write some easy music pieces for my limited ability and I wish with all my heart to play something really by you'. (2) Did some of these 'easy pieces' later find their way into the 'Recueil'? Did the 'Musette' become 'No 82'? Ricci very likely accompanied his students on the violin. In about 1764, Ricci journeyed across the Alps into the countries of Northern Europe, with his touring partner and friend, the famous cellist, Francesco Zappa. Soon he made his home in Holland where he would remain for the next sixteen years. He was a well known a musician in the Hague, often performing as a violinist and singer for the House of Orange. He started to publish his music. Works with and without opus numbers emerged. His sacred composition, 'Dies Irae, Opus 7' was published in 1773. The 'Recueil de Connaissances Elementaires pour le Forte-piano ' has no opus number, but it is the first, #45', in a long list of his compositions at the Dutch music library, '1183 Huis Amerongen Muziekbibliotheek'. When he wasn't on tour, Ricci gathered around himself a large group of students who revered him. He was a very successful teacher. His student Josina van Boetzelaer became one of only two Dutch women composers of the Eighteenth century who's music survives today.(3) Ricci behaved like a kindly uncle to his students. They would often ask him to write pieces for them and in addition, they requested non-musical items such as books. One letter from the Como Archiv
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