Born in Venice, June 8, 1671
Died in Venice, Jan 17, 1750/51
[toh-MA-zoh all-bee-NO-nee / Italian pronunciation]
- Albinoni was not a professional composer but an independently wealthy dilettante.
- Dilettante was a respected title in Albinoni’s Italy. It indicated composing for “delight” (without connoting “amateurish”).
- Albinoni listed his career title (on compositions) both as “musico di violino” (freelance violinist) and as “dilettante.”1
- The defining characteristic of Albinoni’s music was its lyricism – his instrumental works were known for their cantabile lines, “shaped with a singer’s feel for articulation and phrasing.”
- Compared to Vivaldi, Albinoni’s violin writing is much more restrained, often choosing elegance and balance over flashy virtuosity.
- Fun fact – Albinoni had a particular fondness for the oboe and is credited with being the first Italian composer to write oboe concertos.
- Sad fact – much of Albinoni’s existing manuscripts were destroyed during WWI (they were being held at the Dresden State Library).2
Historical Context
- In 1751, the (probable) year of Albinoni’s death, Diderot published his Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers.3
Learn More
Biography from Bach Cantatas
Short biography from Britannica
Sources
- Michael Talbot, “Albinoni: The Professional Dilettante,” The Musical Times 112, no. 1540 (June 1971), 538-541, accessed July 11, 2019, https://www.jstor.org/stable/957427.
- Aryeh Oron, “Tomaso Albinoni (Composer),” Baroque Cantatas (2017), accessed April 20, 2023, https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Albinoni-Tomaso.htm.
- Kate Bolton-Porciatti, “Composer of the month: Tomaso Albinoni,” BBC Music Magazine Vol. 29, No. 4 (2021): 72-75.