Vincenzo Albrici

Vincenzo Albrici ( born June 26, 1631 Rome, † 6 June or August 8, 1696 (or 1682) in Prague) was an Italian composer, organist and conductor.

Life and work

Vincenzo Albrici was the scion of a musical family, his father, two brothers were composers, the father himself was an alto singer who - coming from Senigallia - settled in Rome. Albricis probably five-year training began in 1641 at the Collegium Germanico - Hungarian specialty, for here he has already received a salary from 1646. In 1647 he was sixteen years old Kapellmeister at the " Chiesa Nuova " in Rome. 1652 committed the singer Alessandro Cecconi on behalf of Queen Christina of Sweden an Italian opera troupe, among the members were Vincenzo Albrici as Vice-Kapellmeister, but also Albricis father.

After the abdication of Queen Albrici joined in 1654 as a musician at the court of the Palatinate- Neuburg. After a short stay in Italy he was from 1659 at the Dresden court operates. 1663 was the appointment as Kapellmeister there. After the death of the Elector Johann Georg III. in 1680 released his new employer all Italian musicians. Albrici was staggered for a year as organist at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. After that he worked as a conductor at the Augustinian church until his death in Prague.

In addition to numerous sacred works such as fairs and " clergy " concerts, he created a number of polyphonic Sinfonias and other chamber works for different degrees of occupations. Contemporary documents of the court cite already around 1660 performances of " clergy concerts " in which Albrici was first put composer an aria.

Only 35 sacred works are in the Dübensammlung the Uppsala University Library, the remaining plants were destroyed in 1760 by the Prussian army in the bombing of Dresden.

His brother Bartolomeo Albrici ( about 1640 - after 1687 ) initially worked in Dresden with his older brother, and later as a harpsichordist, " piano teacher " and composer at the Royal Court in London.