Cimarosa He was born into a poor family, and his parents, eager to give him a good education, moved to Naples, where they sent him to a free school. From 1761 he studied for 11 years at the Conservatory of Sta. Maria di Loreto.
He started his career with comic opera Le Stravaganze del Conte, which he premiered at the Teatro de ‘Fiorentini in Naples, in 1772. His success was followed by that of L’Italiana in Londra (Rome, 1778), a work that is still performed in Italy. From 1784 to 1787 he lived in various Italian cities, composing serious and comic operas that were produced in Rome, Naples, Florence, Vicenza, Milan, and Turin.
In 1787, at the invitation of Catherine II, he went to Saint Petersburg as a court musician, replacing Giovanni Paisiello. He produced two operas in Saint Petersburg in 1788 and 1789 and in 1791 he moved to Vienna at the invitation of Leopold II. There, at the Burgtheater on February 7, 1792, he produced his masterpiece, Il segreto marriage (The Secret Marriage), one of the greatest achievements in comic opera and the main work on which its reputation is based. In 1793 he returned to Italy, where Il Marriage Segreto and many of his other works were enthusiastically received. New works from this period include Le astuzie femminili (Naples, 1794) and his tragic masterpiece, Gli orazi ei curiazi (Venice, 1796).
Cimarosa He lived mainly in Naples, and during his occupation by French republican troops in 1799, he openly showed his republican sympathies, for which on the return of the Bourbons he was imprisoned. After being released, he left Naples with health problems. His death, on January 11, 1801, due to an intestinal disorder caused the rumor that he had been poisoned by his enemies; a formal investigation proved the charge unfounded.
Cimarosa was a prolific composer whose music abounds with a fresh melody that never fails. His numerous operas are notable for their apt characterizations and abundant comic life. He wrote many choral works, including the cantata Il maestro di cappella, a popular satire on the operatic essay methods of the time. Among his instrumental works, which, like his operas, have been successfully revived, there are many harpsichord sonatas and a concerto for two flutes.