Antonio Salieri

• Born: August 18, 1750, Legnano, Italy
• Died: May 07, 1825, Vienna, Austria
• Genres: Classical

Biography

Salieri had a great impact on the musical life of Vienna. He served there as a composer and conductor for fifty years, thirty six of which were as court Kapellmeister. Salieri was a pupil of Gassmann, whom he succeeded, a friend of Gluck who was his patron, and an acquaintance of Metastasio and the young Mozart. As a formidable teacher his students included Schubert, Liszt and Beethoven. He made his fame as a composer of operas which dominated Vienna for sometime and even reigned in Paris for a period of four years when he composed three essential works including "Tarare" his most important opera. This opera, staged in 1787 established him as the successor to Gluck. By 1790 Salieri had stopped his work with the Italian opera and devoted himself to teaching and other works such as oratorios, cantatas arias, vocal ensembles, and orchestral and chamber music. Of Salieri's forty Italian operas characteristically they exhibit demonstrative melodies with powerful arrangements for chorus. Unfortunately when he began he was already composing in the old style, a style which eventually became old-fashioned. ~ Keith Johnson, All Music Guide