A Composer Worth Rediscovering The music of Giovanni Legrenzi (1626-1690), baptised on 12 August 1626, represents the final stage in the formation of the late Baroque style. Legrenzi rose from humble beginnings in the provinces to end his career as

In the Shadow of a Famous Brother The Italian cellist and composer Antonio Maria Bononcini (1677-1726) was part of a distinguished musical family based in Modena, Italy. He worked closely with his older brother in Vienna, and crowned his career

Echoes of Venice He may not be as famous as Mozart or Haydn, but Baldassare Galuppi (1706-1785) played a vital role in the evolution of opera buffa. He was known during his lifetime as Il Buranello, after his birthplace on

Salieri at 200 Celebrating Five Operatic Gems On 7 May 2025 we commemorate the 200th anniversary of the death of Antonio Salieri (1750-1825), an Italian composer whose contributions to the classical music landscape were profound yet often overshadowed by myths

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina’s (1525-1594) fame in music history is unmatched. While most of his predecessors and contemporaries faded from view, Palestrina maintained his prestige at an ever higher level for 200 years after his death. As Lawrence B. Porter

“The Father of Haydn’s Style” In 2025, we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the passing of the highly influential Italian composer Giovanni Battista Sammartini (1700-1775). Sammartini was one of the foremost composers of the 18th century and a key figure

“Inspiration is an awakening” One of the most important and influential composers in the history of opera, Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) produced works of emotional depth, melodic beauty, and rich orchestration. Bringing a new level of realism and expressiveness to the

“The music is beautiful, but too clever and old fashioned for the theatre” The above quote originates in a letter from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to his father Leopold. Mozart was in Naples in 1770 and had just seen a performance