Was Girolamo Bon a Composer?
I found several sources that mentioned a set of six violin sonatas published by Girolamo Bon (Anna’s father) in 1752. They are held at the Leipziger Städtische Bibliotheken (Leipzig City Library). I contacted them and had a pdf of the sonatas emailed to me. Below is a timeline of Girolamo’s life I have pieced together from various newspapers and dissertations to shed some light on my theory that he was not a composer/musician and did not actually write these sonatas.
Anna Bon after Bayreuth
When Wilhelmine died in 1758, all Bayreuth concerts were cancelled. Girolamo Bon still had obligations teaching at the Bayreuth Academy but his name appears in several productions in Pressburg (now Bratislava) between 1759 and 1761. Anna and her mother Rosa also appear as leading cast members for operas in Vienna and Pressburg.
Anna Bon in Bayreuth
Anna Published her six Flute Sonatas, Op. 1 in 1756. They are dedicated to the Margrave Frederick III of Bayreuth. Frederick and his wife, Wilhelmine were great supporters of the arts. They established the Academy of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Anna Bon’s Childhood
Before she was born, Anna’s parents were employed by Zarina Anna Ivanovna of Russia. Anna Ivanovna sent a scout to Venice to recruit musicians. Rosa, Anna Bon’s mother, was a well-known singer and her father, Girolamo, was an opera/theater designer and painter. They were involved with the premier of Italian Opera in Russia. Newspaper articles from the time praise both Rosa and Girolamo for their work in the Royal Theater productions in St. Petersburg.