Domenico Cimarosa (1749 - 1801)

Domenico Cimarosa

Domenico Cimarosa was an Italian opera composer of the Neapolitan school of the late 18th century.

For 11 years Cimarosa studied at the Conservatory of Santa Maria di Loreto. His first successful work was the comic opera Stravaganze del Conte, staged at the Teatro Fiorentini in Naples in 1772. It was followed by The Italian Woman in Londre (1778), which is still performed in Italy, and others. Cimarosa composed both serious and comic operas (more than 80 in all), which were staged in Rome, Naples, Florence, Vicenza, Milan and Turin.

In 1787, at the invitation of Catherine II, he traveled to Russia, replacing Giovanni Paisiello as court musician. He staged two operas in St. Petersburg, and in 1791 he traveled to Vienna at the invitation of Leopold II. There in 1792 Cimarosa staged his masterpiece, the opera The Secret Marriage, which made him famous. In 1793 he returned to Italy and composed many more works.

Cimarosa was a prolific and popular composer. His numerous operas are characterized by vivid imagery and rich comic content. He also wrote many choral works, including the cantata Maestro di cappella, a popular satire on modern opera rehearsal methods. His instrumental works include many sonatas for harpsichord and a concerto for two flutes.