Tomaso Albinoni

Sixteen cantatas in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin

Soprano voice and basso continuo

edited by Michael Talbot

Albinoni (1671-1751) was a leading composer of chamber cantatas in the years around 1700. A carefully copied manuscript preserved in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin contains 18 of his cantatas, of which 16 (omitting only the two published in the composer's Op. 4 and already available in a modern edition) are included in this volume. They show the full range of Albinoni's style, which ranges from the slyly humorous to the deeply impassioned, from music of folk-like simplicity to intricate coloratura and rich chromatic harmony. Those who know only Albinoni's instrumental music may be surprised at the adventurousness of his vocal writing. The edition, which addresses the needs of both performers and scholars, includes a preface, a transcription of the poetic texts with English and German translations, and a critical report.

The edition, which is clearly and attractively presented, is a collection of sixteen works that were previously issued separately (at a price of £9.95 each; the collected volume, at £68, thus offers a substantial saving).
The quality of Albinoni's music is such that these cantatas deserve to be better known and more widely performed. It is to be hoped that this clear and stylish edition from the hand of Albinoni's most authoritative expert will enable these works to enter firmly into the established repertory, and that further such editions will follow.

Eighteenth-Century Music

Music examples

Descriptive leaflet (pdf)

Sixteen Berlin cantatas

hh155.fsc · ISMN 979 0 708059 97 4 · ISBN 978-1-905779-41-3

How to order

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