One of two musical sons from a noble family, Alessandro Marcello became a leading figure in the cultural, intellectual, and political life of his native Venice. Born in 1673, he had a privileged upbringing that enabled him to cultivate his skills as a poet, painter, philosopher, violinist, and composer. In 1698 he was elected to the Accademia degli Animosi (the “Academy of Spirited Academics”), becoming its head in 1719 and investing heavily in building its stock of musical instruments. Marcello’s compositions were published under his academic pseudonym, Eterio Stinfalico, to mark a clear separation from his career as a high-ranking member of the Venetian government. Marcello absorbed influences from his younger contemporary Antonio Vivaldi and channeled them into his collection of six concertos, La Cetra, first published in Germany around 1738. Several other tuneful concertos and cantatas were restored to life on record by the Venice Baroque Orchestra in the late 1900s. The seductively fluid, melancholy melodies of his best-known piece, the “Oboe Concerto in D Minor,” inspired Johann Sebastian Bach to transcribe the work for solo harpsichord, thereby cementing Marcello’s place in music history.