Tomaso Albinoni (to-MAH-so    al-bee-NOH-nee)

Born June 14, 1671 in Venice, Italy

Died January 17, 1751

Nationality: Italian

Period/Style: Baroque

About the composer:

Albinoni was a very important baroque composer.  He was not only a fine violinist but also a fine singer.  This is important to remember because when Albinoni wrote music for wind instruments, he kept in mind that wind instrument players depend on their breathing when they perform, just like singers do. He made the music “sing” through the instruments.  He was the first Italian composer to write concertos for the oboe. 

About the music:

The concertos are rather short pieces, in three movements or sections, in which a solo instrument or a small group of solo instruments are the main voices, and the other instruments accompany them.  In a typical Baroque concerto, the first movement is fast, the second is slower and more songlike, and the third is fast and lively.

Suggested activities:

Find out what an oboe is, and which section of the orchestra it belongs to.