Platti was one of the many Italian musicians hired by nobles and prelates in Germany during the late 17th and early 18th centuries to bring their more festive and tuneful music northwards. He was known as an oboe virtuoso, but upon getting settled in the service of the diocese of Würzburg, he revealed his composing chops. Platti created a series of concerti grossi derived from chamber works of Corelli, and also wrote works especially for the brother of his patron, who was a cellist.
The rich and sometimes exotic harmonies and melodies of these works make them as interesting as anything of Corelli, whose three violin sonatas provided the source material for the Concerti Grossi. Platti likely was the soloist in his own oboe concerto, a lovely three-movement work.
– John Sunier
