傑米尼亞尼是巴洛克晚期的作曲家，與巴哈，韓德爾，還有韋瓦第等同輩的作曲家。出身於Lucca，他的爸爸是當地教堂 Cappella Palatina的小提琴家，也很有可能是他的啟蒙老師。他後來又先到米蘭與Lonati學習音樂。接下來，今天公認的說法是他到羅馬時應該有當過 Corelli的學生，在拿坡里時又有拜師Alessandro Scarlatti，雖然這都沒有明確的文獻記載。1707年，20歲的Geminiani回到自己的家鄉，從父親手上接下了教堂小提琴手的工作，任職有 兩年。 1711年，他再度回到拿坡里擔任某樂團的小提琴首席。不過，他愛過度即興的個性與喜歡將音樂的節奏弄得太有彈性，使他從小提琴手被貶為中提琴手。
說 不定是這樣的打擊，讓他決定到英國發展。英國人除了非常熱愛義大利式的音樂之外，他們當時的小提琴演奏水準並不高。Geminiani本身就是一位小提琴 技巧高超的義大利音樂家，所以他到了英國立刻被熱情地接待。他的作品一小提琴奏鳴曲，更是由韓德爾彈大鍵琴的伴奏下，在國王面前所表演。由此可見，他在英 國樂壇的聲望真的是舉國皆知的。
Geminiani看準了英國樂迷對於義大利式的大協奏曲形式的喜愛，先後將 Corelli的作品五小提琴奏鳴曲還有作品三的幾首三重奏鳴曲改編為大協奏曲。其中，作品五的最後一首La Folia，因為沾了Corelli本身的光，所以至今仍有人演奏其絃樂團版的。Geminiani接著也有創作自己作品二，三的大協奏曲，也在當時的倫 敦深受好評。
1733，Geminiani首度踏上愛爾蘭，以都柏林為家，並在巴黎與倫敦間遊走，不僅作曲，教學， 寫作，還在閒暇之餘，進行名畫的收藏。晚期的曲子，像是作品五的大提琴奏鳴曲，還有作品七的大協奏曲，因為嘗試一些新的突破而未完全被世人接受。他的聲望 漸漸下滑，無法再像發行作品二，三時一樣，也使得他晚年專心寫樂器表演和樂理的著作。其中，"The Art of Playing the Violin"＜小提琴演奏的藝術＞，除了指導當時初學者如何拉好小提琴，也完整記載當初音樂表演的風格，是今天古樂音樂家表演巴洛克音樂相當重要的參考 文獻。"The Art of Accompaniment"＜伴奏的藝術＞，也教導鍵盤手如何彈好數字低音的伴奏。其他的著作還有如 "The Art of Playing the Guitar or Cittra"， "A Treatise of Good Taste in the Art of Musick"等。
這張由Christopher Hogwood(霍格伍德)指 揮Academy of Ancient Music(古樂學會樂團)的錄音是我大四的時候所買的二手CD。當時我手邊的Geminiani只有I Musici所灌錄的他改編Corelli op.5的大協奏曲，因此看到有另一個錄音，心裡相當好奇。這幾天才赫然發現這是1976年的錄音，雖然已有30多年的歷史，但是一點都感覺不出來有年 紀！！非但不會覺得無趣，而且快樂章中的能量相當充足，具有一定的張力帶動著音樂。他們的每拍雖然規律，但都有瞬間發力的快感。而Fabio Biondi的Europa Galante版本大膽的表演方式，雖然精彩，不過有時候卻像在失控邊緣一般。如果還沒有接受那麼前衛的表演的心理準備，Academy of Ancient Music穩重的風格，應該會相當適合你。
Geminiani 的作品三大協奏曲，雖然是參考Corelli Op.6大協奏曲的基本架構，他這六首協奏曲多是慢-快-慢-快的四樂章。Geminiani更在此作品三的大協奏曲中，將原本的雙小提琴一大提琴的獨奏 樂器群(concertino)，又加入了一把中提琴，製造出更飽滿的效果。Geminiani的大協奏曲，雖然有Corelli的影子，但卻又綻放出 Geminiani的獨特風格，在旋律上雖然比較生硬，合聲上卻更為豐厚。繼Corelli和Handel有名的Op.6大協奏曲之後，這六首也是相當值 得收藏的大協奏曲集之一。
Geminiani was a contemporary of Handel and Bach of the late Baroque era. "Contemporary of Handel" is especially fitting, considering that being a native of Italy, he found himself in London just like Handel. While in Italy, it is believed that he had studied with Corelli and Alessandro Scarlatti at some point, despite no actual documents record this. After 1714, he left Italy for good and hereafter stayed in London, made visits to Paris, and ultimately died in Ireland.
England proved to be an excellent choice for Geminiani, because the people there were in love with the music of Italy, and Corelli's in particular. Geminiani being a good violinist himself, also would never fail to impress the public as a virtuoso. He was also a respected teacher, whom Charles Avison was to learn from and later boldly but implicitly declared that "Geminiani was a better composer than Handel."
Geminiani capitalized on the English people's love of the Concerto Grosso form, where Corelli's monumental op.6 Concerti Grossi was still widely circulated and performed nationwide. Geminiani wrote three sets of concerti grossi, op.2, op.3, and op.7. However, he is also probably most famous for orchestrating Corelli's 12 op.5 violin sonatas into concerti grossi. He also later arranged some of his op.4 sonatas into concerti grossi form as well. Although clearly based in the Corellian model, Geminiani was to make a little innovation of his own. He expanded the concertino group, a trio of two violins and a cello, with another viola.
Geminiani's op.3 concerti grossi mainly follow the 4-movement structure of slow-fast-slow-fast, where the slow movements are not so much as stand alone pieces as they are introductory to the fast movements. Geminiani's concertos are very harmonically rich, and its melodic lines are not as smooth or as distinct as Corelli's.
This recording made by the Academy of of Ancient Music (AAM) and Hogwood dates back to 1976. It is quite amazing that it sounds as vibrant and energetic as some of the modern recordings. Some of their playing can be a bit stiff at times, but overall it has aged remarkably well. They may not be as risk-taking as Fabio Biondi's Europa Galante, but AAM's treatment of Geminiani's of op.3 is very sound and in my opinion, never dull. In fact, this has come to be one of my favorite AAM recordings over the years. Recently reissued, this is a true gem in Baroque music.
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