Antonio Lotti

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Antonio Lotti (January 5, 1667 – January 5, 1740) was an Italian composer of classical music.

Lotti was born January 5, 1667 Venice although his father Matteo was Kapellmeister at Hannover at the time.^[1] In 1682, Lotti began studying with Lodovico Fuga and Giovanni Legrenzi, both of whom were employed at St Mark's Basilica, Venice's principal church. Lotti made his career at St Mark's, first as an alto singer (from 1689), then as assistant to the second organist, then as second organist (from 1692, then (from 1704) as first organist, and finally (from 1736) as maestro di cappella, a position he held until his death. He also wrote music for, and taught at, the Ospedale degli Incurabili. In 1717 he was given leave to go to Dresden, where a number of his operas were produced, including Giove in Argo, Teofane and Li quattro elementi (all with librettos by Antonio Maria Luchini).^[2] He returned to Venice in 1719 and remained there until his death in 1740.

Lotti wrote in a variety of forms, producing masses, cantatas, madrigals, around thirty operas, and instrumental music. His sacred choral works are often unaccompanied (a cappella). His work is considered a bridge between the established Baroque and emerging Classical styles. Lotti is thought to have influenced Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, and Johann Dismas Zelenka, all of whom had copies of Lotti's mass, Missa Sapientiae.

Lotti was a notable teacher, with Domenico Alberti, Benedetto Marcello, Baldassare Galuppi, Giuseppe Saratelli and Johann Dismas Zelenka among his pupils. He was married to the noted soprano Santa Stella.

Amongst his most famous of compositions is the Crucifixus in which he aimed to break the rules of conventional harmony (unprepared dissonences, tritones and the like) and to this end can be called the first 'atonal' piece of music.