Tomaso Albinoni

About Tomaso Albinoni

Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1751), well known today for his oboe concertos (and, less happily, for the 'Adagio in G minor for Strings and Organ' published in modern times under his name), was a prolific composer of secular vocal music throughout his career. His almost fifty cantatas for solo voice (soprano or alto) and continuo constitute the best, but also the least well known, portion of his vocal music. Most if not all of Albinoni's cantatas originate from the early part of his career around 1700. They display a typically Venetian tunefulness, lively accompaniments and a finely developed sense of balance. Concise but not over- brief, they provide the ideal introduction to the world of the late-baroque cantata and to the composer's individual but highly satisfying musical language.