Giovanni Battista Gervasio (c. 1725 - c. 1785) was an Italian musician and composer. Born in Naples he was one of the first generation of virtuoso-mandolinists who left Italy and played the mandolin in Europe in the 18th century.[1][2] He was a composer for the mandolin and his works can be found scattered in 18th century collections such as the Gimo music collection and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.[3][4] He also wrote a mandolin method Methode facile pour apprendre a quatre cordes, instrument pour les dames (Easy method for learning four-string instruments for ladies), published in Paris in 1767.[5] He performed in London 1768 and in Frankfurt-on-the-Main on December 10, 1777, and the Concert Spirituel in Paris on December 24, 1784 .[1][5] He advertised in 1785 that he was master of singing and mandolin to Her Royal Highess, the Princess of Prussia.[5] A work of music addressed to her exists today in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.[3]
Gervasio advertised his teaching services in Grenoble in 1785.[5] As the last known advertisement for him, it has been proposed that he settled and later died there.[5]
Works
Gimo collection
Works in the Gimo collection were collected by a Swedish man, Jean Lefebure, "in the first half of 1762" in Italy.[4] They were hand-copied commercial products.[4]
Mandolin Sonata in C major (Sonata Per Camera di Mandolino e Basso), mandolin and bass (Gimo 141)[4][6]
Mandolin Sonata in D major (Sonata Per Camera di Mandolino e Basso ), mandolin and bass (Gimo 142)(Gimo 143)[4][6]
Mandolin Sonata in D major (Sonata Per Camera di Mandolino e Basso), mandolin and bass (Gimo 144)[4][6]
Mandolin Sonata in G major (Sonata per Mandolino e Basso), mandolin and bass (Gimo 145)(Gimo 146)[4][6]
Duet in E-flat major for Two Mandolins (Duetto à Due Mandolini) (Gimo 147)[4][6]
Trio Sonata in D Major (Trio Sonata per Camera di Mandolino è Basso) (Gimo 149)[4][7]
Trio in D major (Trio a Due Mandolini e Basso), 2 mandolins and bass (Gimo 150)[4][6]
Other collections
Sonata for Mandolin, bass. No. 1. D major, (kept Bibliothèque Nationale de France)[3] This is in two parts; possibly the same work that Konrad Wölki called Two sonatas four mandolin and bass and said was "held in Paris."[1]
The Sonata for mandolin, bass. No. 1. D major by Giovai Battista Gervasio (from Naples), given to a Prussian princess. The work was labeled "for fun and chamber study" on the title page.
Recordings
2011. Aonzo / Buttiero recordings. Il mandolino italiano nel settecento, Carlo Aonzo, Elena Buttiero[8]
2016. Centaur Records. Gimo-Samling: 18th Century Sonatas & Trio Sonatas for Mandolin, played by Duo Acquavella.[9]
Sparks, Paul (2003). The Classical Mandolin. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN9780195173376.
^ abcdefWölki, Konrad (1984). Geschichte der Mandoline [History of the Mandolin]. Translated by Harris, Keith. Arlington, Virginia: Plucked String. p. 10.
^"Il mandolino italiano nel settecento". Retrieved 14 June 2019. [Last three tracks on album:] Sonata in Re maggiore, allegro. Sonata in Re maggiore, largo amoroso. Sonata in Re maggiore, taice alla tedesca
^"Gimo-Samling: 18th Century Sonatas & Trio Sonatas for Mandolin". Retrieved 14 June 2019. [Tracks 4-6 and 10-18 are by Gervasio:] (4-6) Sinfonia for 2 Mandolins & Continuo, Gimo 149, (10-12) Sonata for Mandolin & Continuo, Gimo 141, (13-15) Trio for 2 Mandolins & Continuo, Gimo 150, (16-18) Sonata per camera, Gimo 143.