Francesco Calegari (179?-18??)
According to Marco V. Bazzotti, Francesco Calegari (179?-18??) was a guitarist and composer who flourished in the first half of the 19th century;
little is known about his life. He was probably originally from Florence and came from a family of important musicians, the most famous of whom was Antonio Calegari.
He began his career as a concert performer in Florence, subsequently becoming highly admired in Central European musical circles, mainly in Germany.
He lived for a long time in Leipzig and Braunschweig, and for a short period also in Paris.
His compositions were published by major publishing houses such as Pleyel in Paris, Hofmeister and Schwarz in Leipzig, Ricordi and Canti in Milan, and Cipriani in Bologna and Florence.
Around 1830, he entered the publishing business, becoming a competitor of Cipriani in Bologna.
Of his guitar compositions – about twenty works in total – the following are particularly noteworthy:
– Variations Op. 18,
– Rondo Op. 3 for guitar,
– Polonaise Op. 16 for violin and guitar,
and several instrumental reductions based on themes from operas.