Antonio Lotti (1667-1740) - Missa a tre cori (c.1718)
Performers: Harvard University Choir; Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra; Murray Forbes Somerville (conductor)
Further info: Antonio Lotti (1667-1740) - Dixit Dominus
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Italian teacher and composer. Son of the composer active in Hanover,
Matteo Lotti, he received early lessons from Giovanni Legrenzi. He
became a salaried alto singer on 30 May 1689, assistant to the second
organist on 6 August 1690, second organist on 31 May 1692, and first
organist on 17 August 1704. Seven years earlier, in 1697, he was
'maestro di cappella' for the church of the Spirito Santo, and the
following year, he finished an entire book of masses, presumably for use
there and at San Marco. He also composed sacred music for the Ospedale
degli Incurabili, although the terms of his appointment there, if any,
are not known. He excelled equally as an opera composer for the Venetian
theatre, with sixteen works premiered between 1706 and 1717 alone.
Having reached fame as one of the most celebrated church and theater
composers of his time, he was invited in September of 1717 together with
his wife, Santa Stella, a renowned soprano, and several musicians from
the basilica of San Marco, by the Electoral Court of Saxony to come to
Dresden for a two year residency. During his stay in Dresden, he wrote
numerous sacred works, chamber music, and three operas that were given
during the festival month, in the new opera house that Augustus II 'the
Strong' had built especially for this occasion. In 1719 he returned to
his posts in Venice. Despite the success of his psalm motet Miserere of
1733, thereafter sung every Holy Thursday at San Marco for the rest of
the century, he failed to win the election to be 'maestro di cappella'
when the post fell vacant that year. He finally won the appointment on 2
April 1736, which qualified him for the annual salary of 400 ducats and
free lodging in the piazza de’ Canonici. As a teacher, he was highly
praised and several of his pupils became accomplished composers, among
them, Domenico Alberti, Girolamo Bassani, Baldassare Galuppi,
Michelangelo Gasparini, Benedetto Marcello and Giambattista Pescetti.
Antonio Lotti was the last of the great Baroque 'maestro di cappella' of
San Marco in Venice, his legacy of sacred music, including at least 10
masses and 2 requiems, remained in the regular repertory of the basilica
throughout the 18th century. He could compose in the stile antico for
liturgy, and his polyphony might comprise as many as 10 voices full of
dissonant suspensions. He was also internationally prominent in the
musical theater, having composed at least 24 operas and 8 oratorios, as
well as at least 88 secular cantatas; a 1705 publication of vocal duets,
trios, and “madrigals”; a concerto for oboe d’amore; 6 sonatas for
violin and continuo; 6 sinfonie; and a half-dozen assorted chamber
works.
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