Pietro Torri

The recorded working language is Italian. The field of work recorded is music, Baroque music and opera. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are opera. Places of work recorded in the authority are Munich. Positions recorded include court chapel master.

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. In 1715 he returned to Munich, where he occasionally composed cantatas; and an opera annually. In 1726 Maximilian died, and his son Charles Albert succeeded him to the throne of Bavaria. For this occasion, Torri composed a musical tribute to the new ruler: the allegorical cantata Bavaria. This work alluded to an early Bavarian claim to the throne of the Holy Roman Empire. On the death of Giuseppe Antonio Bernabei in 1732, he was finally officially appointed as choirmaster at the court of Bavaria. Charles Albert was elected emperor in 1726 as Charles VII Albert and Torri became a musician at the imperial court. He died in Munich.

• Illustration — Title page of the libretto of Lucio Vero (Munich 1720) • Illustration — Title page of the libretto of Torri's Catone in Utica (Munich 1736) Dramatic works by Pietro Torri • Title — Genre — Libretto — Date — Place — Occasion • L'innocente giustificato — dramma per musica — Baldassarre Pisani — 1688 — Bayreuth — Birthday of Sophie Luise von Württemberg. • Fetonte — cantata — 1689 Oct/Nov — Munich — Name day of Elector. • Gli oracoli di Pallade e di Nemesi — serenata (tourney) — 6 February 1690 — Munich — Tournament. • L'ambizione fulminata — opera buffa — 1691 — Munich • I Preggi della primavera — serenata — Luigi Orlandi — 1691 May(c.) — Leuchtenberg — For Electress Palatine. • Gli amori di Titone e d'Aurora — dramatic work — 1691 Jul — Munich • Le Peripezze della Fortuna — opera — 1695 Jan.? — Brussels? — Marriage of Elector & Electress? • Il Giorno festivo (attr.) — cantata (tourney) — 1695 Oct. — Brussels — Birthday of Electoral Prince. • S. Vinceslao — oratorio teatrale — 1692–1701 — Brussels? • Santo Landelino — oratorio teatrale — 1692–1701 — Brussels? • Briseide (attr.) — dramma per musica — Francesco Palmieri — 1696 Feb.? — Hanover — Carnival. • Torneo ("Figli de' monti") — cantata (tourney) — 30 January 1702 — Munich • Le Martir des Maccabées — dramatic oratorio — 1707–1714 • L'Homme endormis — prologue — 17 May 1712 — Namur • L'innocenza difesa dai Numi — opera — 1712 — Valenciennes • Enone — pastorale — 1713 Sep.? — Dinant? — For Elector of Cologne? • Le Réciproque — divertissement — 1714 May(c.) — Valenciennes • Le Triomphe de la Paix — dramatic cantata — 1714(c.) — Celebrating Treaty of Rastatt. • La reggia dell'armonia — pasticcio (+Steffani) — Luigi Orlandi — 1715 Aug. — Munich — 18th birthday of Electoral Prince. • Ismène (=L'innocenza difesa dai Numi) — opera — 1715 Oct.? — Munich • Introduzione a balli — cantata — 1715–1716 — Munich • La Baviera — serenata — 29 August 1716 — Munich — Return of Electoral Prince. • Astianatte — dramma per musica — Antonio Salvi — 12 October 1716 — Munich — Name day of Elector. • Andromaca (rev. of Astianatte) — dramma per musica — Antonio Salvi — 1717 Feb.(c.) — Munich • Torneo ("Già dall'Iser ameno") — cantata (tourney) — 6 May 1718 — Leuchtenberg • Epitalamio — cantata (wedding) — 17 February 1719 — Munich — Marriage of Ferdinand Maria and Maria Anna. • La Merope — dramma per musica — Apostolo Zeno — 12 October 1719 — Munich — Name day of Elector. • Eumene (attr.) — dramma per musica — Apostolo Zeno/Antonio Salvi — 11 July 1720 — Munich — Birthday of Elector. • Lucio Vero (attr.) — dramma per musica — Apostolo Zeno — 12 October 1720 — Munich — Name day of Elector. • Per l'anniversario della nascità de S. A. E. Massimiliano Emanuele — cantata — 17 July 1721 — Munich — Birthday of Elector. • Gli dei festeggianti — dramatic cantata — 6 August 1721 — Munich — Birthday of Electoral Prince. • L'amor d'amico vince ogni altro amore — dramma per musica — Adriano Morselli — 12 October 1721 — Munich — Name day of Elector. • Adelaide — dramma per musica — Antonio Salvi — 18 October 1722 — Munich — Marriage of Electoral Prince and Archduchess. • La publica felicità — cantata (tourney) — Pietro Pariati — 22 October 1722 — Munich — Marriage of Electoral Prince and Archduchess. • Lucio Vero (rev.) — dramma per musica — Apostolo Zeno — 3 January 1723 — Munich • Merope (=La Merope) — dramma per musica — Apostolo Zeno — 24 January 1723 — Munich — Carnival. • Griselda (attr.) — dramma per musica — Apostolo Zeno — 12 October 1723 — Munich — Name day of Elector. • Amadis di Grecia — dramma per musica — Perozzo di Perozzi — 1724 Oct. — Munich — Birth of Princess. • Venceslao (attr.) — dramma per musica — Apostolo Zeno — 12 October 1725 — Munich — Name day of Elector. • Egloga pastorale — pastorale — 6 September 1726 — Name day of Electoral Prince. • L'Epaminonda — dramma per musica — Domenico Lalli — 11 May 1727 — Munich — Birth of Prince. • Nicomede — dramma per musica — Domenico Lalli — 1728 Oct. — Munich — Visit of Count Palatine. • Edippo — tragedia per musica — Domenico Lalli — 22 October 1729 — Munich — Birthday of Electress. • L' Ippolito — tragedia per musica — Domenico Lalli — 22 October 1731 — Munich — Name day of Electress. • Ciro (attr.) — dramma per musica — Leopoldo di Villati — 1733 — Munich — Visit of Archbishop-Elector. • Griselda (rev.) — dramma per musica — Apostolo Zeno — 1735 Feb.(c.) — Munich — Carnival. • Catone in Utica — tragedia per musica — Metastasio — 1736 — Munich

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.

• 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.

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. • Giacobbe, also known as Rebecca (Brussels, Mons or Namur 1705–1714). • Genesio (Brussels, Mons or Namur 1705–1714). • Elia (Munich, Spring 1730), libretto by Leopoldo di Villati. • Abramo (Munich, Spring 1731), libretto by Domenico Lalli. • Gionata (Munich c. 1733), libretto by Apostolo Zeno.

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: • Confitebor. • Dominus illuminatio mea. • In caelo stellato. • In te Domine speravi, performed 31 October 1728 (23rd Sunday after Trinitas). • Laudate pueri. • Two different Lauda Jerusalems. • Laetatus sum. • Veniat dilectus meus.

The Trastulli (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 Trastulli 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). • "Sei pur cruda a miei tormenti" (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)

• Sonata in C major for alto recorder and continuo. • Sonata in C major for two violins, viola, cello and continuo, in four movements: • Allegro (time) • Presto (allabreve) • Adagio (time) • Presto (time) • Sonata in F major for two violins, viola, cello and organ, in three movements: • Allegro (allabreve) • Adagio (time) • Presto (time)