Francesco Paolo Supriani

Francesco Paolo Tomaso Supriani (Conversano, 11 July 1678 – Naples, 28 August 1753) was an Italian cellist and composer of the Neapolitan school.

Biography

He was a student of Conservatorio della Pietà dei Turchini from 1693, where he became a cello virtuoso.

He was the author of a manuscript didactic collection of toccatas for the instrument, with an explanatory introduction, entitled: Principij da imparare à suonare il violoncello e con 12 Toccate à solo, found and published by the musicologist and cellist Luigi Silva (1903–1961). A copy of the manuscript is kept in the Biblioteca Conservatorio San Pietro a Majella, Naples. In this work Supriani already uses the fifth position, as well as the bass and tenor clefs. As a virtuoso cellist, he helped the cello to emerge from its traditional rank of continuo and reach the elevated status of a solo instrument.

Supriani is considered one of the teachers of Francesco Alborea, commonly known as "Franciscello".

Compositions

Principij da imparare à suonare il violoncello e con 12 Toccate à solo (1720)

12 Toccatas for cello solo:

• Toccata prima in G major
• Toccata seconda in A minor
• Toccata terza in B flat major
• Toccata quarta in C major
• Toccata quinta
• Toccata sesta
• Toccata settima
• Toccata ottava in G minor
• Toccata nona in A major
• Toccata decima in D minor
• Toccata undicesima in A minor
• Toccata dodicesima in F minor

Discography

• La voce del violoncello opere per violoncello dei principali compositori violoncellisti italiani - (2012, Passacaille Records)
• Boccherini's Dreams : Toccate I, IV, X e XI – Mime Yamahiro Brinkmann, violoncello (gennaio/febbraio 2021, Arcantus) — con due sonate di Boccherini e brani di Pasquini, Cabezon e Storace.
• Supriani: 12 Toccatas for Cello, Transcribed for Viola by Marco Misciagna - Marco Misciagna, viola (2024, MM - MM03)

References