António da Costa, a composer and commentator on the 18th-csentury Italian music scene

Abstract

Antônio da Costa, a Portuguese abbot, violinist, and composer who left Portugal in 1749, is known from music histories almost solely for thirteen letters he sent between 1750 and 1780 from Rome, Venice, and Vienna. Here he met Charles Burney, the English music historian and composer, who made Costa’s name known and highlighted his unique personality. In this essay, Costa’s remarks and judgments on the mid-18^th century Italian musical scene are commented, also stressing the previously unattested presence of certain major musicians, especially in Rome. Costa’s musical opus known at present is discussed and some excerpts are transcribed, thus lending further support to the judgments he expressed. Also, his musical style is systematically dealt with for the first time.