Giovanni Battista Gervasio (c. 1725 - c. 1785) was an Italian musician and composer. Born in Naples he was one of the first generation of virtuoso-mandolinists who left Italy and played the mandolin in Europe in the 18th century. [1] [2] He was a composer for the mandolin and his works can be found scattered in 18th century collections such as the Gimo music collection and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. [3] [4] He also wrote a mandolin method Methode facile pour apprendre a quatre cordes, instrument pour les dames (Easy method for learning four-string instruments for ladies), published in Paris in 1767. [5] He performed in London 1768 and in Frankfurt-on-the-Main on December 10, 1777, and the Concert Spirituel in Paris on December 24, 1784 . [1] [5] He advertised in 1785 that he was master of singing and mandolin to Her Royal Highess, the Princess of Prussia. [5] A work of music addressed to her exists today in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. [3]
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Gervasio advertised his teaching services in Grenoble in 1785. [5] As the last known advertisement for him, it has been proposed that he settled and later died there. [5]
