(Castelfranco Veneto, 25 July 1655 - Frankfurt am Main, 12 February 1728)
He was born in 1655 in Castelfranco, in the Republic of Venice. Formed with Francesco Cavalli, he became singer of the Choir of San Marco in Venice. Ferdinand Maria di Bavaria and her wife Enrichetta Adelaide of Savoy who listened to her in Padua, they tried so much pleasure that they asked the chief chorus to be able to bring him to their court Wittelsbach to Munich, promising to provide for his needs and ensure him a future.
In Munich he was entrusted to the music master Johann Kaspar Kerll. In 1672 he was brought to Rome to the care of Ercole Bernabei. Under such a teacher, the boy's progress were quick. Steffani had entered the seminary after having done his studies, received the tonsure and took the title of Abbot, who always kept.
Having become a distinct composer, he first wrote for the church, in particular more put for the chapel of the Bavaria elector in Munich of which he became court organist since 1675. He was only nineteen years when he published a collection of eight voices psalms in which a certain art of writing is already noted. This collection was followed by sonatas for four tools and two -voices duets with continuous bass, the work of greater merit and which are often put in parallel with those of Clari, who took them as a model. All these works, composed for the Court of Monaco, were later rewarded by the appointment in abbot of Leipzig.
From 1709 he devoted himself to the diplomatic career and in 1710 he left his place as a chapel master, designating Händel as his successor. After a long absence from his homeland Steffani returned, in 1720, passing all over the winter of that year in Rome, often hosted by Cardinal Ottoboni who loved to have his works performed. Elected honorary member of the Academy of Vocal Music in London in 1724, he was invited to send some works and for this occasion Steffani composed a madrigal, followed by the education follows Madrigale and introduced by the chamber duet the song you want, probably attributable to Steffani.
In 1727, he returned to Italy where he met Händel for the last time, composing a Dixit Dominus/Stabat Mater, the work of maturity and his tormented religious fervor. Shortly afterwards he returned to Hanover and, forced to go to Frankfurt, he fell ill and died in a few days in seventy -three years old, in 1728.
The State Conservatory of Music of his city of origin, Castelfranco Veneto, is dedicated to him.
Suites Théatras.
Can the work be a shame? We would not have wanted the Pope's recent words of appreciation towards Giuseppe Verdi to respond cordially in the negative to the question. The Abbate Agostino Steffani had already written more than a dozen of the soundtracks of work before becoming a papal correspondent in 1709 and after the work he was allowed to shape the history of the German church.
It is a shame, otherwise there would be more than his music, formulated precisely in every joke, which has influenced Handel in an audible way and represents a truly unique synthesis of French and Italian styles. A publisher from Amsterdam has published two suite instrumental from his works during Steffani's life; The experts of the sonators of La Gioiosa Marca compared these suite with the original scores and added two openings like encore.
The Hannover Agostino Chapel Steffani published a success of a success of a main work ("Enrico Leone") with many of the dances recorded here twelve years ago. But the new recording has contagious theatricality even without arias. The historical clan of the ensemble is direct and full -bodied, the French influence dance movements are round and physical. It almost seems that the kicks of the dancers have mixed with the rhythms of the colored drums. It is not surprising that the producers have let themselves be seduced to make the tone dish work and the wind machine alone.
Incidentally, Steffani noted these special effects as well as the refrain, which unexpectedly bursts into the fucked part of two openings. The man is definitely good for other surprises.
