June 8th
Tomaso Albinoni 8 June 1671 – 17 January 1751
Adagio in G minor Arranged by Remo Giazotto
By anonymous – Unknown source, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61401
Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni was an Italian composer born on 8 June 1671 in Venice. He is known for his contributions to the Baroque era, particularly his operas, concertos, and sonatas. Albinoni’s music includes a variety of forms, such as sinfonias and solo cantatas. Although he gained fame as an opera composer, he is now best remembered for his instrumental works, especially the “Adagio in G minor.” This piece is often misattributed, as it was largely composed by Remo Giazotto, a 20th-century musicologist.
Albinoni studied violin and singing, and his first opera premiered in 1694. He married Margherita Rimondi in 1705 and had six children. Throughout his career, he composed numerous instrumental pieces, including oboe concertos, making him one of the first to feature the oboe as a solo instrument. His music influenced later composers, including Johann Sebastian Bach, who admired Albinoni’s themes. Albinoni passed away in 1751, leaving behind a legacy of over fifty operas and many instrumental compositions that are still celebrated today.