Pietro Torri

Pietro Torri ( – 6 July 1737) was an Italian Baroque composer.

Life Torri was born in Peschiera del Garda, Republic of Venice. It is possible, but not certain, that soprano Anna Maria Torri was his sister. From 1684 to 1688, he served as the organist and choirmaster of the Margrave of Bayreuth, and later entered into the service of the Elector of Bavaria Maximilian II Emanuel. In 1692 he followed the prince with some gentlemen of the court orchestra to the Spanish Netherlands and later settled with them in Brussels where Torri married the daughter of the ballet master François Rodier.

Over the following years he lived in Mons, Namur, Lille, Compiègne, and Valenciennes; where his compositions were performed.

+ Dramatic works by Pietro Torri Title Genre Libretto Date Place Occasion dramma per musica 1688 Bayreuth Birthday of . cantata 1689 Oct/Nov Munich Name day of Elector. serenata (tourney) 6 February 1690 Munich Tournament. opera buffa 1691 Munich serenata Luigi Orlandi 1691 May Leuchtenberg For Electress Palatine. dramatic work 1691 Jul Munich (attr.) cantata (tourney) 1695 Oct. Brussels Birthday of Electoral Prince. oratorio teatrale 1692–1701 Brussels? oratorio teatrale 1692–1701 Brussels? (attr.) dramma per musica Francesco Palmieri 1696 Feb.? Hanover Carnival. ("Figli de' monti") cantata (tourney) 30 January 1702 Munich dramatic oratorio 1707–1714 prologue 17 May 1712 Namur opera 1712 Valenciennes pastorale 1713 Sep.? Dinant? For Elector of Cologne? divertissement 1714 May Valenciennes dramatic cantata 1714 Celebrating Treaty of Rastatt. pasticcio (+Steffani) Luigi Orlandi 1715 Aug. Munich 18th birthday of Electoral Prince. (=) opera 1715 Oct.? Munich serenata 29 August 1716 Munich Return of Electoral Prince. dramma per musica Antonio Salvi 12 October 1716 Munich Name day of Elector. (rev. of ) dramma per musica Antonio Salvi 1717 Feb. Munich ("Già dall'Iser ameno") cantata (tourney) 6 May 1718 Leuchtenberg cantata (wedding) 17 February 1719 Munich Marriage of Ferdinand Maria and Maria Anna. dramma per musica Apostolo Zeno 12 October 1719 Munich Name day of Elector. (attr.) dramma per musica Apostolo Zeno/Antonio Salvi 11 July 1720 Munich Birthday of Elector. (attr.) dramma per musica Apostolo Zeno 12 October 1720 Munich Name day of Elector. cantata 17 July 1721 Munich Birthday of Elector. dramatic cantata 6 August 1721 Munich Birthday of Electoral Prince. dramma per musica Adriano Morselli 12 October 1721 Munich Name day of Elector. dramma per musica Antonio Salvi 18 October 1722 Munich Marriage of Electoral Prince and Archduchess. cantata (tourney) Pietro Pariati 22 October 1722 Munich Marriage of Electoral Prince and Archduchess. (rev.) dramma per musica Apostolo Zeno 3 January 1723 Munich (attr.) dramma per musica Apostolo Zeno 12 October 1723 Munich Name day of Elector. dramma per musica 1724 Oct. Munich Birth of Princess. (attr.) dramma per musica Apostolo Zeno 12 October 1725 Munich Name day of Elector. pastorale Name day of Electoral Prince. dramma per musica Domenico Lalli 1728 Oct. Munich Visit of Count Palatine. tragedia per musica Domenico Lalli 22 October 1729 Munich Birthday of Electress. tragedia per musica Domenico Lalli 22 October 1731 Munich Name day of Electress. (attr.) dramma per musica 1733 Munich Visit of Archbishop-Elector. (rev.) dramma per musica Apostolo Zeno 1735 Feb. Munich Carnival. tragedia per musica Metastasio 1736 Munich

Sacred music

Magnificat

Torri likely composed his Magnificat in C major for double choir and orchestra in the 1690s. The work is scored for double SATB choir, two trumpets, bassoon, strings (two violin parts and two viola parts) and basso continuo/organ.

The Magnificat in C major, BWV Anh. 30, is Johann Sebastian Bach's arrangement of Torri's Magnificat. In Bach's version of the work there are an additional trumpet and timpani.

Masses Missa pro Defunctis: Requiem mass for the Elector (died in 1726). The composition is for SSATB singers and an orchestra consisting of oboes, strings and continuo (organ). Missa solemnis in D major. Mass in C major.

Oratorios Torri wrote more oratorios than any composer before George Frideric Handel (see also several dramatic oratorios mentioned above among Torri's dramatic works): Abelle (Brussels 1692–1701; Munich 1734). San Gaetano (Brussels 4 April 1705). La vanità del mondo (Brussels 5, 12 and 19 March 1706), libretto by Carlo Francesco Melchiori. Genesio (Brussels, Mons or Namur 1705–1714). Elia (Munich, Spring 1730), libretto by . Abramo (Munich, Spring 1731), libretto by Domenico Lalli. Gionata (Munich ), libretto by Apostolo Zeno.

Other The Mus.ms. 30299 manuscript of the Berlin State Library not only contains a copy of Torri's Magnificat, but also following sacred music, from the same composer: . . . , performed 31 October 1728 (23rd Sunday after Trinitas). . Two different s. . .

Chamber music

Trastulli The (trifles) is a collection of 60 short vocal works surviving in a four-volume autograph, written between 1692 and 1701. The first of these volumes contains 14 chamber cantatas, each consisting exclusively of a recitative and a da capo aria. The other volumes contain such arias without recitative. The are, at least in part, extracted from larger vocal works: The first volume contains 14 Recitative and Aria pairs: Con insoliti fregi (aria: "Non si scorge più dipinto"; S, vdg) Dalle spine da i Numi (aria: "Le rose odorose"; S, b, fl) Non v'è nube importuna (aria: "Di Vulcan nelle prigioni"; B, b, 2fl/2vl) Volano d'ogni intorno (aria: "I molli zeffiretti con le fronde"; S, b, ob) Passan di ramo in ramo (aria: "Dal petto canoro"; S, b, fl/ob) Con dolci melodie (aria: "Ciò che vegeta"; S, b, vdg/ob) Le ninfe più vezzose (aria: "Con placido incanto"; B, b, fl, fld) Le Castalide suore (aria: "Qui soggiorna un vago nume"; S, b, vdg) Bella diva (aria: "Per te sola sorge l'alba"; S, b, vdg/fl) Seguono i tuoi vestigi (aria: "Quante pompe ha la bellezza"; B, b, fl) Del Latio antico e delle Greche scole (aria: "Ben traluce nell'aspetto"; S, b, vdg/ob) Or va con tanta luce (aria: "Due seni più felici"; S, b, vdg/ob) L'opre nostre e i pensieri (aria: "Voi sarete con"; S, b, fl) Vi piova il ciel benigno (aria: "L'aureo stame vital"; S, b, fl) The second volume contains 17 arias, ten of which are excerpted from the Briseide dramma per musica: From Briseide act 3 scene 8: "Godi giubila alma mia" (S, ob/vl, b) From Briseide act 1 scene 9: "Vieni o cara amata sposa al mio cor" (S, b, fl, ob) From Briseide act 1 scene 4: "Agitati miei pensieri" (S, b, ob) From Briseide act 2 scene 5: "Onde chiare imparate a non amare" (S, b, fl/vl, ob/vl) From Briseide act 2 scene 2: "Dolce auretta che sì grata" (S, b, fld) From Briseide act 2 scene 10: "Un core o pianti o sassi" (S, b, fld) "Luci serene se per voi moro" (S, b, fld) "Di pastorella oh quanto è bella" (S, b, fl) "Spero sì dagli aspri marmi" (S, b, fl) "Fra gli orrori di notte più ombrosa" (S, b, fl) "Se dar voglio al mio crudo tormento" (S, vl, b) "Vivo in pene e di consiglio non ho speme" (S, b, vdg) From Briseide act 1 scene 7: "Rendetemi al mio ben fati inclementi" (S, b, 2fl) "Cresce il foco a poco" (S, b, vdg) From Briseide act 3 scene 8: "Nel mio fiero penar" (S, b, vdg) From Briseide: "Quando venne nel mio core" (S, b, fl) From Briseide act 1 scene 11: "Hai finito a tanti guai" (S, b, vdg) The third volume contains an aria for alto (No. 6), while all other Trastulli are either for soprano or bass: "Son di foco e son di ghiaccio" (S, vl, b) "Il sospiro è una parola" (S, vl, b) "All'or che vezzosa sul prato" (S, b, ob) "Chi non gode di sua lode" (B, vl, b) "Sei menzognera sei lusinghiera" (S, vl, b) "Con tal voce il ciel richiama" (A, b, ob) "Quanto dura omai ti rendi" (B, b, 2vdg) "Il rispetto che mi rende" (S, b, ob) "Già langue il seno e già vien meno" (B, b, 2vdg) "Il pastorello s'en giace afflitto" (S, b, ob) "Lascivoli il mio desio" (B, b, 2vdg; music similar to IV/6) "Sorghin pur tempeste irate" (S, vl, b) "Orror profondo la terra ingombra" (S, 2vl, b) "Si vendicate o dei" (S, vl, b) "Sonno amico de' mortali" (S, 2vl, b) The fourth volume contains one aria in French (No. 10), and one without text (No. 12) – all other Trastulli have an Italian text: "Traffitto ho il seno da un guardo ameno" (B, b, 2vdg) "Aurette flebili che qui spirate" (S, b, 2vdg) "Se un guardo girate pupille vezzose" (B, b, 2vdg) "V'amo sì care luci adorate" (S, b, 2vdg) "Ombre amene della notte deh calmate" (A, b, 2vdg) "Deh volate o miei pensieri" (B, b, 2vdg; music similar to III/11) "Deh volgi sereno quel guardo che ameno" (S, b, 2vdg) From S Landelino: "Per dar sfogo al mio crudo" (B, b, 2vdg). "Triste remous funeste inquiétude" (B, b, 2vdg) "Vuo cercando il mio ristoro" (B, b, 2vdg) Aria without text (B, b, 2vdg) "Come ahi lasso ti perdei" (T, b, 2vdg) "Al languido seno" (S, b, 2vdg)

Sonatas Sonata in C major for alto recorder and continuo. Sonata in C major for two violins, viola, cello and continuo, in four movements: Allegro Allegro Introduzione a balli. "V'amo, si, care luci adorate" (= Trastulli IV/4) "Di Pastorella" (II/8; 3:01) 2014 (recorded 2013): sung by Friederike Holzhausen, accompanied by Susanne Ehrhardt (recorder) and Sabine Erdmann (Verlag Klaus-Jurgen Kamprad VKJK 1413) 2015: by Stefan Temmingh (recorder), Dorothee Mields (soprano) and the Gentleman's Band (Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 88875141202) La prima diva: Arie per Faustina Bordoni is a 2014 CD (recorded 2013) on with arias composed for Faustina Bordoni, among which "Se amori ascolterò" from Torri's Griselda, sung by Agata Bienkowska accompanied by Barockwerk Hamburg and Ira Hochman (Tactus TC 670003). Another aria from Griselda, "Vorresti col tuo pianto", is included in Xavier Sabata's Catharsis album (Armonia Atenea, George Petrou; recorded 2015, released 2017; Aparté Music AP 143). Terry Wey's 2017 Pace e guerra: Arias for Bernacchi album (recorded 2016; with Rubén Dubrovsky and the Bach Consort Wien; Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 88985410502) contains a few arias which Torri composed for the castrato singer Antonio Bernacchi: "Pace e guerra" from Lucio Vero (3:19) Recitative ("La sua disperazione") and Aria ("Se a ammollire il crudo amante") from Amadis di Grecia, sung by soprano Mary Bevan accompanied by Bridget Cunningham conducting London Early Opera, is included in Handel’s Queens (Signum SIGCD579, 2019). Erato's La vanità del mondo, recorded in June 2020 by Philippe Jaroussky and Ensemble Artaserse, was released in November 2020. The album contains these arias by Torri: Isacco's "Perché più franco" from Abramo Piacere's "Esiliatevi pene funeste" from La vanità del mondo