Albinoni is nowadays famous for a piece of music that he did not write, the well known Adagio, the work of the 20th century Italian musicologist Giazotto. Albinoni was a near contemporary of Vivaldi in Venice, a competent violinist and a singing teacher, married to an operatic singer. His concertos for the oboe, with the customary string orchestra of the period, treat the instrument vocally, integrating it with the orchestra. Albinoni was born in 1671, and was this seven years older than Vivaldi, whom he outlived by ten years, dying in 1751. The twelve concertos forming his Opus 9 include four for solo violin, four for two oboes and four for solo oboe. The set was dedicated to Maximilian Emanuel II, Elector of Bavaria, on its publication in 1722, marking the height of his career, further fortified by the commissioning of an opera and a shorter stage-work for the marriage in Munich of the Elector's son and heir.
Recommended recording
Recommended recording: Albinoni: Oboe Concerti, played by the oboists Anthony Camden and Julia Girdwood, with the London Virtuosi, led by the violinist John Georgiadis.
Naxos 8.550739
