Giovanni Batista Pescetti was born in Venice into a musical family, both his father and grandfather were musicians. He studied with Antonio Lotti and Adolph Hasse, the Saxon who was composer in Venice. In 1734 he settled in London (like many of his compatriots), where he was director of both Covent Garden and the King’s Theatre. Although Pescetti wrote many operas he is mainly remembered for his works for the keyboard, notably the harpsichord, for which he wrote several volumes of sonatas. They are charming, with a strong emphasis on the melody, expertly written for the keyboard, and popular with both professionals and amateurs. This new recording presents the complete keyboard works by Pescetti, for both harpsichord and organ, played with infective zest and lyrical poise by Paolo Bottini.
