Life and Career
(Faenza, December 16, 1716 – Faenza, October 11, 1785)
A violinist and composer of notable talent, Paolo Tommaso Alberghi represents one of the most interesting, yet less known, figures of the school of Giuseppe Tartini. His training began in the family under the guidance of his elder brother, Don Francesco, but it was the period spent in Padua between 1728 and 1733 that marked his artistic maturation: here he studied with Tartini in the years immediately preceding the arrival of Nardini, soon distinguishing himself as one of the most gifted and original pupils, superior in inventiveness to contemporaries such as Bini or Morigi.
Having returned to Faenza, Alberghi linked his entire existence to the musical life of the city's Cathedral, where he joined the orchestra in 1733 under his brother's direction. His rise was steady; he became first violin in 1755 and, from 1760 until his death, held the prestigious role of Maestro di Cappella. Although his career remained confined within an Italian scope, his pedagogical influence was of European breadth. From his school emerged musicians of the caliber of his son Ignazio, Giuseppe Sarti, and Cristoforo Babbi, who carried the master's legacy as far as the court of Dresden.
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Tartini's Legacy
It is said that Alberghi had learned from his famous master, Giuseppe Tartini, the secret to making the instrument "speak." Legend has it that during rehearsals in the Cathedral, when he performed his adagios, the sound of his violin was so pure and similar to the human voice that the faithful often looked around confused, searching in vain for the solo singer hidden among the aisles, only to discover that that angelic voice came solely from his strings.
Style and Criticism
Alberghi's works, particularly his violin concertos, testify to the skills of a first-rate performer. His writing is inclined toward an elaborate virtuosity, rich in double stops in the high registers, which exceeded even the famous Nardini in technical boldness. But it is in harmonic imagination that the author surprises most. His works are indeed embellished by an abundant use of chromaticism and unexpected harmonic turns, demonstrating a creativity that placed him a step above most of his generation.
Faced with such richness, and given that his music is now accessible and marvelous, it is quite unclear why he is not studied and performed as he deserves. It almost seems that, due to a characteristically Italian laziness, he is barred from entering the concert repertoires. Our music critics often appear too busy mimicking German criticism and exalting the usual four or five composers who clog the concert halls, taking space away from the rightful rediscovery of this author. Evidently, in our musicology, common sense does not always harbor (alberga).
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Briciole di storia
The Masterpiece Hunter
Francesco Algarotti was not only a refined theorist but a true man of action in the service of beauty. In 1743, Augustus III of Saxony - at whose court in Dresden Alberghi's pupils would later find glory - commissioned him to travel through Italy in search of works for his royal gallery. Acting with the infallible eye of a modern agent, Algarotti purchased masterpieces from the great masters, building that cultural bridge between Italy and Saxony that allowed not only the figurative arts but also the great Italian instrumental music to find a second homeland in the heart of Europe.
Pubblico dominio (Commons)
