Albinoni, Tomaso (1671–1751)

Italian baroque composer and violinist. He wrote over 50 operas and numerous sonatas and concerti à cinque (concertos in five parts) for oboe, trumpet, bassoon, violin, organ, and strings, which helped to establish baroque orchestral style. His work was studied and adapted by Johann Sebastian Bach.

He was wealthy and never held a musical appointment, but was a fully trained musician. His concertos were among the first to be in three movements, and the oboe concertos Op. 7 were the first published in Italy. The popular Adagio, often described as being by Albinoni, was actually composed from a fragment of original manuscript by his biographer, the Italian musicologist Remo Giazotto (1910– ).

Works Opera 55 operas, including Radamisto (Venice, 1698), Griselda (Florence, 1703), Pimpinone (Venice, 1708), and L'impresario delle Canarie (Venice, 1725).

Chamber 9 Op. nos. for instrumental chamber combinations, including 5 sets of 12 concertos, 30 other concertos, 42 trio sonatas, and 29 violin sonatas.