Alessandro Marcello facts for kids

Alessandro Ignazio Marcello (born February 1, 1673 – died June 19, 1747) was an Italian nobleman and a talented composer. He is known for his beautiful music, especially his concertos.

A Life of Music

Alessandro Marcello was born in Venice, a famous city in Italy. His father was an important senator, which meant Alessandro grew up in a wealthy family. This comfortable life allowed him to spend his time on what he loved most: music.

Composing and Performing

Marcello held many concerts in his hometown of Venice. He wrote and published several collections of his musical pieces. These included six concertos titled La Cetra, which means "The Lyre." He also composed other types of music, such as cantatas (pieces for singers and instruments), arias (songs for a single voice), and violin sonatas (pieces for violin and another instrument).

A Secret Identity

Alessandro Marcello lived at the same time as other famous composers like Tomaso Albinoni and Antonio Vivaldi. Sometimes, Marcello used a secret name for his compositions: Eterio Stinfalico. This was his name as a member of a special group called the Arcadian Academy, which was a society for writers and artists.

Later Life

Marcello passed away in Venice in 1747. He was buried on his family's country estate in a place called Paviola, near the city of Padua. His brother, Benedetto Marcello, was also a well-known composer. Benedetto's wife, Rosanna Scalfi, was a talented singer and composer herself.

Marcello's Music

Even though many of Alessandro Marcello's works are not played very often today, he is still seen as a very skilled composer. His La Cetra concertos are special because they feature wind instruments and have a clear, strong style. They are considered some of the last great examples of the Baroque music style from Venice.

The Famous Oboe Concerto

Perhaps his most famous piece is the Concerto for Oboe and Strings in D minor. A very famous composer named Johann Sebastian Bach thought this piece was so good that he rewrote it for the harpsichord, a keyboard instrument. This shows how much Bach admired Marcello's work. Several versions of this concerto have been published, including one in C minor, which was made for the older type of oboe used during the Baroque period.

See also

In Spanish: Alessandro Marcello para niños