sartorio, Antonio

Sartorio, Antonio, important Italian composer; b. Venice, 1630; d. there, Dec. 30, 1680. His first opera, Gl amori infruttuosi di Pino, was performed in Venice on Jan. 4, 1661; his second opera, Seleuco (Venice, Jan. 16, 1666), established his reputation. In 1666 he went to Germany to take up the post of Kapellmeister to Duke Johann Friedrich of Braunschweig-Lüneburg, who maintained his court in Hannover. He held this post until 1675, but continued to make regular visits to Venice to oversee productions of his operas. It was in Venice that he brought out his most famous opera, l’Adelaide, on Feb. 19, 1672. He returned to Venice permanently in 1675; in 1676 he was appointed vice-maestro di cappella at San Marco, a position he held until his death. Sartorio was a leading representative of the Venetian school of opera; his operas are notable for their arias, which he composed in a varied and effective manner.

Works

Dramatic: Opera (all first perf. in Venice unless otherwise given): Gl’amori infruttuosi di Pirn (Jan. 4, 1661); Seleuco (Jan. 16, 1666); La prosperità d’Elio Stiano (Jan. 15, 1667); La caduta d’Elio Seiano (Feb. 3, 1667); L’Ermengarda regina de’ Longobardi (Dee. 26, 1669); VAdelaide (Feb. 19, 1672); L’Orfeo (Dec. 14, 1672); Massenzio (Jan. 25, 1673); Aleina (c. 1674; not perf.); Giulio Cesare in Egitto (Dec. 17, 1676); Antonino e Pompeiano (1677); L’Anacreonte tiranno (1677); Ercole su’l Termodonte (1678); I duo tiranni al soglio (Jan. 15, 1679); La Flora (music completed by M.A. Ziani; Carnival 1681). OTHER : Anumber of cantatas and sacred vocal works;. 23 Salmi a due chori ma accomodati all’ uso della serenissima cappella ducale di S. Marco for 8 Voices (Venice, 1680).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire