Albinoni: Two Sinfonias

The court orchestra of Dresden had fallen into decline in the early eighteenth century, but its swift revival began in 1718 with the wedding preparations for the electoral prince, Frederick August II, and Maria Josepha of Austria, the daughter of the Hapsburg emperor. Musicians from Italy, France, and other courts in Germany were appointed to the Hofkapelle, and in the years following the wedding, the ensemble flourished and was held in high esteem throughout Europe. Many composers from Dresden, elsewhere in Germany, and beyond wrote works for the Dresden orchestra—as well as works for other orchestras in the Dresden style, thus reinforcing the artistic renown of the ensemble.

The two sinfonias by Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni feature a quintessential Dresden-style orchestra with pairs of flutes and oboes. Without a doubt, the woodwind parts were composed later—or, more precisely, they were developed from the original string parts, a technique often used to adapt compositions to the forces of the Dresden Hofkapelle.