Biography
Born in Venice in 1667, Antonio Lotti produced a substantial body of sacred and secular works in the Baroque style. Early in the eighteenth century he stood among the leading composers active in the city and shaped the development of several younger musicians, among them Bach, Handel, and Zelenka. While he was still an infant his family relocated to Hanover after his father received an appointment as Kapellmeister; they returned to Venice in 1682. There Lotti received instruction from Lodovico Fuga and Giovanni Legrenzi at St. Mark’s Basilica.
His first salaried position began in 1689 when he entered St. Mark’s as an alto. Three years afterward he advanced to assistant to the second organist and, still in 1692, obtained the second organist post itself. That same year his first opera, Il trionfo dell innocenza, received its premiere in Venice; the work proved highly successful and quickly elevated his profile. A volume of masses appeared under his name in 1698, and in 1704 he rose to first organist at St. Mark’s. During the next decade he remained in that post while completing more than a dozen operas. In the same period he met the celebrated soprano Santa Stella; the two married in 1714. She performed leading roles in several of his operas, including Sidonio, Achille placato, and La forza del sangue.
From 1717 to 1719 Lotti and his wife served at the Dresden court of Friedrich August I, Elector of Saxony. Engaged to supply Italian operas for the elector’s newly assembled troupe, he composed Giove in Argo, Teofane, and Li quattro elementi. J. S. Bach was also present in Dresden late in 1717 for a widely noted keyboard contest with Louis Marchand and may have encountered Lotti, yet no evidence of such a meeting survives. After discharging his Dresden duties, Lotti abandoned theatrical composition entirely, returned to Venice in 1719, and resumed his duties at St. Mark’s. He additionally held an unspecified post at St. Maria dei Carmini and gained wide recognition as a teacher. Among his most notable pupils were Baldassare Galuppi, Benedetto Marcello, and Domenico Alberti.
Named Kapellmeister of St. Mark’s in 1736, he continued to teach and compose until his death in 1740.
His first salaried position began in 1689 when he entered St. Mark’s as an alto. Three years afterward he advanced to assistant to the second organist and, still in 1692, obtained the second organist post itself. That same year his first opera, Il trionfo dell innocenza, received its premiere in Venice; the work proved highly successful and quickly elevated his profile. A volume of masses appeared under his name in 1698, and in 1704 he rose to first organist at St. Mark’s. During the next decade he remained in that post while completing more than a dozen operas. In the same period he met the celebrated soprano Santa Stella; the two married in 1714. She performed leading roles in several of his operas, including Sidonio, Achille placato, and La forza del sangue.
From 1717 to 1719 Lotti and his wife served at the Dresden court of Friedrich August I, Elector of Saxony. Engaged to supply Italian operas for the elector’s newly assembled troupe, he composed Giove in Argo, Teofane, and Li quattro elementi. J. S. Bach was also present in Dresden late in 1717 for a widely noted keyboard contest with Louis Marchand and may have encountered Lotti, yet no evidence of such a meeting survives. After discharging his Dresden duties, Lotti abandoned theatrical composition entirely, returned to Venice in 1719, and resumed his duties at St. Mark’s. He additionally held an unspecified post at St. Maria dei Carmini and gained wide recognition as a teacher. Among his most notable pupils were Baldassare Galuppi, Benedetto Marcello, and Domenico Alberti.
Named Kapellmeister of St. Mark’s in 1736, he continued to teach and compose until his death in 1740.