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ALBINONI, Tomaso Giovanni

b Venice 14 June 1671

d Venice 17 January 1751 aged seventy-nine

The son of a wealthy paper merchant, he studied the violin and singing. Despite an exceptional talent he did not attempt to seek a post at church or court, but preferred to remain a man of independent means who made music for the love of it. His main concern was in writing and directing his own operas, and he married an operatic soprano, Margherita Rimondi, by whom he had six children. His career reached its climax in 1722, when the Elector of Bavaria Maximilian Emanuel II, to whom he had just dedicated a set of twelve concertos invited him to Munich to direct his own operas. After that he began to compose less, and appears to have retired in 1741, spending the last two years of his life confined to bed. His musical output was, however, immense.

1694 (23)

Zenobia, Regina di Palmireni, opera

1707 (36)

Sinfonie e Concerti a cinque

1710 (39)

Concerti a cinque

c1716 (c45)

Twelve Concerti a cinque

c1722 (c51)

Twelve Concerti a cinque

Albinoni composed many works of concerto grosso type, as well as more than fifty operas.