Text Box:  6. This composer is kind of a “one-shot” wonder. He is the Italian Luigi Boccherini. He was born in 1743 and died in 1805 at age 62. His main claim to fame is a minuet, one that is so respected and familiar, that is known in classical music circles as THE Boccherini minuet. It was written in 1771. A minuet by the way is a slow stately dance that was popular in Europe during the 18 and 1900’s: But first, two interesting facts about Boccherini: Number one… he was not the usual organist, violin player, or pianist like other composers, but instead, a cello player… and number two…he actually created much of his music at the behest of Lucien Bonaparte, the older brother of the great conqueror himself…yes, Napoleon the First. Goulding doesn’t rank him in the top fifty composers…but nothing can take away the fame of his minuet, formally called Minuet from String Quintet in E Major: