[52] Pasquini was no doubt one of the many composers who influenced Handel. When the latter visited Italy before he came to London in 1710, he made the acquaintance of the two Scarlattis (Alessandro and Domenico), Corelli, and other famous musicians at Rome; of Lotti and Steffani at Venice; and surely at Naples he must have known Pasquini, whose name, however, is not to be found either in Schoelcher or Rockstro. Only Gasparini, who was a pupil of Pasquini's, is mentioned by the former.
[53] "Si puo fare a Due Cembali."
[54] See the Novello Album.
[55] See the Novello Album.
[56] The post was offered to Bach in 1738, while Frederick was as yet Crown Prince, but he only entered on his duties in 1740.
[57] The four sons of Hans Georg Benda (Franz, Johann, Georg, and Joseph) were excellent musicians, and all members of the band of Frederick the Great. Georg, the third son, composer of Ariadne and Medea, two duodramas which attracted the attention of Mozart, was, however, the most remarkable.
[58] Cf. Carlyle's Frederick the Great, vol. iv. p. 134:—"Graun, one of the best judges living, is likewise off to Italy, gathering singers."
[59] The symphonies appear to be three-movement overtures transcribed for clavier. As a rule, the pieces marked as symphonies in this collection have no double bars, and, consequently, no repeat in the first movement. A "symphony" of Emanuel Bach is, however, marked as a "sonata" in the Six Lessons for the Harpsichord, published in London during the eighteenth century.
[60] The king was extremely fond of Hasse's music, but this composer, though German by birth, was thoroughly Italian by training.
[61] Yet, curiously, there is no chord in the later sonatas so large as the two on page 29 (6th Sonata)—