Concerto No. VIII

Concerto No. VIII by Charles Avison arranged for Guitar Quartet by Manley Mallard. Charles Avison 1709-1770 was a Baroque/Classical English composer and a contemporary of G. F. Handel. He was a church organist and is best known for his 12 Concerti Grossi after Scarlatti and his Essay on Musical Expression, the first music criticism published in English. His concerti are similar in style to those of Geminiani with whom he studied. Avison was emphatic on the importance of melody in his compositions which are considered to be “unusually tuneful”. Concerto No. VIII has four movements: Adagio, Allegro Amerosa and Allegro. This is a beautiful alternative to Bach or Handel for your group’s performance. Intermediate to Advanced.