Albrici, Vincenzo

Albrici, Vincenzo, Italian organist, harpsichordist, and composer; b. Rome, June 26, 1631; d. Prague, Aug. 8, 1696. He was the son of Domenico Albrici, an alto singer. He began his career in Rome as a boy soprano at the Collegio Germania under his mentor Carissimi (1641–46), and then was organist and maestro di cappella at the Chiesa Nuovo. In 1652-53 he was at the Swedish court of Queen Christina. He became joint vice-Kapellmeister with Bontempi under Schütz at the Dresden electoral court in 1654. In 1658 he was again in the service of Queen Christina, this time in Rome. In 1662 he returned to Dresden, but in 1664 he went to London and was active at the court of King Charles II. In 1668 he returned to Dresden, where he was made director of Italian music at the electoral court in 1676. Following the dismissal of the Italian musicians in 1680, he became a Protestant and obtained the position of organist at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig in 1681. However, he went to Prague in 1682 to serve as director of music at St. Augustin. Among his works were Latin motets for voices and instruments, Italian solo cantatas, and some other vocal pieces. His brother, Bartolomeo Albrici (b. c. 1640; d. 1687), was an organist, teacher, and composer. He was active at the Swedish court of Queen Christina in 1652-53, and then was organist at the Dresden electoral court from 1654 to 1666, when he settled in London. He publ. a vol. of harpsichord music (1679).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire