Domenico Cimarosa
Domenico Cimarosa (17 December 1749 – 11 January 1801) was a prominent Italian composer of the Neapolitan School during the Classical period, renowned primarily for his comic operas. Born in Aversa, near Naples, Cimarosa was the son of a stonemason who died shortly after moving the family to Naples. His early education and musical training were provided by the monks of the Church of San Severo, where he was taken under the wing of the monastery's organist, Padre Polcano. At the age of 12, Cimarosa was admitted to the Conservatorio di S Maria di Loreto in Naples, where he studied composition, violin, and keyboard.
Cimarosa's career began with the success of his first opera, "Le stravaganze del conte," in 1772, which led to widespread recognition across Italy. Throughout the 1770s and 1780s, he composed numerous operas, both comic and serious, for various Italian cities. His reputation extended beyond Italy, leading to an engagement with Catherine the Great of Russia as her court composer and conductor from 1787 to 1791. He later moved to Vienna, where he composed his most celebrated work, "Il matrimonio segreto," in 1792.
Returning to Naples in 1793, Cimarosa continued to compose operas, but his political sympathies during the French occupation of Naples in 1799 led to his imprisonment by the returning Bourbon monarchy. After his release, he left Naples in poor health and died in Venice in 1801. Cimarosa's music is celebrated for its melodic richness and character-driven compositions, with "Il matrimonio segreto" remaining a pinnacle of comic opera.
