Antonio Salieri (b Legnago, 18 Aug 1750; d , 7 May 1825)

Born in the region of Italy in the town of Legnago, Salieri began music studies at an early age. Along with his brother, Salieri’s early musical training was in violin and keyboard.

His music education continued in where the Viennese composer F.L. Gassmann, who took the young composer with him when he returned to Vienna, noticed him. It was in Vienna that Salieri made his name, developing close business and personal relationships with composers such as Metastsio, Gluck, and Emperor Joseph II. It was also in Vienna that Salieri proved himself a capable composer in , and later . Opera would prove to be the medium in which Salieri would become most successful and well known for. His success was also due in part to the rather beneficial patronage of Joseph II. 1774 saw the death of Gassmann leaving the court without an official composer. Joseph II appointed the young Salieri, now 24, as the new Kammerkomponist as well as Gassmann’s former position as director of the Italian opera in Vienna.

The first two years as director for the Italian opera were not as successful for Salieri. In addition, Joseph II reorganized the court theatres in 1776, moving away from the Italian style to a more spoken drama style. Salieri, not particually interested in the new style shifted his focus from Vienna and back towards his native land of Italy. From 1778 to 1780, he composed comic operas for theatres in Venice and Rome. He composed a serious opera for the opening of La

Scala in Milan during this period as well. Due to the success of his comic operas during this period, Salieri became well known throughout the rest of Europe. In 1781, under commission