Antonino Biffi

Antonino Biffi (* 1666 in Venice ; † 1732 or 1736 there) was an Italian Baroque composer .

Live and act

Antonino Biffi probably studied with Giovanni Lenzei . In July 1692 he was mentioned as a singer in the choir of the chapel of St. Mark's Basilica . After only a week he was given the task of representing the conductor Giovanni Domenico Partenio . After the death of the latter in 1701, Biffi had applied for the vacant position; other competitors were the "Vice-maestro di cappella" Carlo Francesco Pollarolo , Antonio Lotti and Benedetto Vinaccesi , both organists at St. Mark's Basilica. On February 5, 1702, Antonio Biffi was officially appointed. He held the office of Kapellmeister until his death. He was also a choirmaster at the Ospedale dei Mendicanti . His students include Giovanni Battista Ferrandini , Domenico Alberti and Daniel Gottlieb Treu .

Biffi's compositions, which mainly apply to church music, are generally shaped by the Venetian school, which is characterized by particularly expressive and colorful music. Despite these clear influences, Biffi tended to occasionally use the "concertato style" derived from the Roman school.

Works (selection)

• Il figliuol prodigo (oratorio, libretto by R. Ciallis, 1769, Venice, lost)
• Manna in deserto (oratorio, 1723, Venice, lost)
• 6 Salmi (psalms)
  • Ecce quam bonus per 2 voci
  • Et exultavit con meum per 2 voci
  • Miserere per 4 voci e violini, viole e organo
  • Natus in ludea per 3 voci e basso continuo
  • Quia laetatus per 2 voci e basso continuo
  • Repleti prius per 2 voci e organo
• Several fairs and parts of fairs
• Several motets
• Several church cantatas
• 3 secular cantatas, Amante moribondo , Adorar beltà , La primavera

Web links

• BIFFI, Antonio in the Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani Vol. 10 (1968) (Italian)
• Sheet music and audio files by Antonino Biffi in the International Music Score Library Project