Luigi Boccherini

Luigi Boccherini, the great eighteenth-century Italian cellist and composer, was unusual in that although he enjoyed great fame during his lifetime, especially in Paris, he wrote mainly chamber music, including over 120 string quintets. He was sometimes criticised for writing music that sounded like Haydn's - but that surely was not at all a bad model for him.

His most famous music is this enchanting Minuet, an absolute gem of charm and elegance. It comes from his E major String Quintet, Opus 11 which was published in 1771, when he was 28. It has achieved immense fame and has been used by many as a theme to epitomise the 18th-century; we can be sure that the charm and melodic genius Boccherini shows in this Minuet are such as would appeal to everyone.

Luigi Boccherini on Guild Music

• GMCD 7125 Minuet from Quintet in E major Op. 11 No.5

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