Agostino Steffani, the composer, was not only an outstanding musician but also a prominent diplomat and a senior representative of the Catholic church in north Germany.
Composition History
Some of Steffani's duets were composed for 'ladies' of the Hanover court, who were interested in music, including Sophie Charlotte, a gifted musician and poet.
Cultural Impact
Handel paid the greatest compliment to Steffani by using his duets as models for his own compositions and as a basis for choruses in his oratorio Messiah.
Composition History
Steffani's operas combined the Venetian style, which he learned as a boy, with the French style he encountered during a visit to Paris.
Cultural Impact
Steffani's operas made a deep impression on other composers like Handel, Telemann, and J. S. Bach, laying foundations for late Baroque music in north Germany.
Compositional Technique
Steffani's duets combine sensitive word-setting with impeccable harmony and counterpoint, often suggesting interpretations of the text not otherwise apparent.
Composition History
Steffani specialized in the chamber duet more than his contemporaries, with 81 reliable attributions among his many ascribed examples.
