Bartolomeo Bortolazzi

Bartolomeo Bortolazzi (born Toscolano-Maderno 1772; died 1846 ) was a performing musician, composer, author, and virtuoso of both the guitar and the mandolin. He was credited by music historian Philip J. Bone as helping to pull the mandolin out of decline.

Early life Bortolazzi was born to musical parents, and when quite a child studied the mandolin. At a very early age, he made concert tours through northern Italy, meeting with considerable success. In the year 1800, he visited England where he was well received, remaining there two years and surprising the English audiences with his instrument.

Among his published works we find a method for the guitar entitled: New theoretical and practical guitar school, Op. 21, and a method for the mandolin entitled School for the mandolin, violin system. The guitar method was published in French and German by Haslinger, Vienna; it was a standard work in Austria during the first part of the nineteenth century, and met with such success that it passed through eight editions up to the year 1833. The first eleven chapters, of his method are devoted to the theoretical part, and the twelfth concerns the instrument. After these twelve introductory chapters, follow scales, cadenzas, and studies in all keys, arranged progressively, and thirty exercises on arpeggios, the work is concluded with a fantasia of three pages for guitar solo.

Mandolin method Anweisung de Mandoline by Bartholomeo Bortolazzi, published c.1805 in Leipzig by Breitkopf & Hartel.

The mandolin method, which was issued by Breitkopf & Hartel, of Leipzig, in 1805, also passed through many editions, including one revised by Engelbert Rontgen and published in German. The first lesson describes the mandolin and its various types (lute, Milanese, Cremona and Neapolitan mandolins, etc.)., and it is followed by various exercises for the management of the plectrum. It treats of arpeggios, harmonics, etc., and concludes with a theme and six variations for mandolin with guitar accompaniment. This method was seen as completely out-of-date by 1914. Songs Bortolazzi was the composer of many simple, yet beautiful songs, which were very popular during his life, and among other of his published compositions we mention the following:

Op. 5, Six Italian songs with guitar Op. 8, Variations for mandolin and guitar, published in 1804 by Breitkopf & Hartel, Leipzig, and also by Cappi, Vienna Op. 9, Sonata for mandolin and piano, same publishers Op. 10, Six themes with variations (in two volumes) for mandolin and guitar Op. 11, Six Italian songs with guitar, Simrock, Bonn; Op. 13, Six variations for guitar with violin obbligato Op. 19, Twelve variations concertante for guitar and piano, Haslinger, Vienna Op. 20, Six French romances with guitar Periodical Amusements for the Spanish Guitar volume 4. Twelve airs for guitar solo Rondo for guitar and piano in A, Concha, Berlin Sonata for guitar and piano, Peters, Leipzig Six variations for violin and guitar, Spehr, Brunswick Six dances and twelve books of guitar solos, Haslinger, Vienna Six Venetian songs with guitar, published in 1802 by Chappell, London Today, a trio for three voices with piano, dedicated to Count Waldestein, and printed for the author in 1801, London Cantate a Voccasion de la reception d'un frere, London, 1801 Maurer lied, London 1802,

and numerous other similar works published in London and on the continent. He also left twelve variations for guitar remain in manuscript in Dresden and several others in Vienna.