Sinfonia in C/Sinfonia in Am

These two sonatas/sinfonias survive in Durham Cathedral Library as part of a collection of numerous late 17th and early 18th century Italian instrumental compositions which contain a substantial amount of music by other composers with Mantuan connections, Tomaso Albinoni and Marc’Antonio Ziani. MS M.175 contains a score of these works whilst MS M.193 holds a set of parts, although sadly the tenor viola part is missing. The parts, which are in the north European portrait format, were probably copied from the scores which are in the Italian oblong format and in a different hand. The scores possibly hail from a source close to the composer judging from the high degree of accuracy on behalf of the copyist and also due to the biographical information contained therein; the work in A minor records the date of 1697 and his post at the Mantuan court – Maestro di Cappella di S.A.S. di Mantova, whilst the work in C is inscribed Fatta per la Signora Cati, probably alluding to one of the ladies of the court.