Toccata

Giovanni Battista was born in Bologna, his father, Antonio Maria Martini, a violinist, taught him the elements of music and the violin and he later learned singing and harpsichord playing from Padre Pradieri, and counterpoint from Antonio Riccieri and Giacomo Antonio Perti. He received his education in classics from the priests of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri and professed religious vows and received the religious habit of the Francisca Order in September 1722. In 1725, though only nineteen years old, he received the appointment of chapel-master at the Basilica of San Francesco in Bologna, where his compositions attracted attention. He established a composition school at the invitation of amateur and professional friends, where, a number of well-known musicians received their education. As a teacher, he consistently expressed his preference for the practices of the earlier Roman school of composition. Martini was a zealous collector of musical literature, and possessed an extensive musical library, estimated at 17,000 volumes of music. After Martini's death a large portion of his library is held at the Imperial library at Vienna, while the rest remaining in Bologna, Italy. The greater number of Martini's own mostly sacred compositions remain unprinted. Contemporary musicians spoke of Martini with admiration and Leopold Mozart consulted him, with regard to the talents of his son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

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