Domenico Cimarosa: genius of opera buffa

Life

Trained in the heart of the eighteenth century, in a context where Rococo elegance and the critical spirit of the Enlightenment coexisted, his artistic maturity was fully expressed in the new taste of Neoclassicism.

Born in Aversa in 1749, Domenico Cimarosa studied in Naples at the Conservatory of Santa Maria di Loreto, training with masters such as Gennaro Manna, Antonio Sacchini, and Fedele Fenaroli. He distinguished himself as a harpsichordist, violinist, organist, and singer. His debut as an opera composer took place in 1772 with Le stravaganze del conte, marking the beginning of an extremely prolific career.

In the following decade he composed numerous opera buffa and seria for the major Italian theaters, including L’italiana in Londra (1778), which opened the way to European success. During the eighties he worked intensely in Naples, Rome, and other cities, consolidating his international fame.

From 1787 he was in St. Petersburg at the court of Catherine II, where he remained until 1791. He then moved to Vienna, called by Leopold II as chapel master. There in 1792 he composed his most famous opera, Il matrimonio segreto, which achieved a memorable triumph at the Burgtheater and remained a cornerstone of the operatic repertoire.

In his final years he returned to Italy, staying in Naples and Venice, where he died suddenly in 1801. His music, lively and melodically brilliant, establishes him among the great protagonists of the Neapolitan school and European theater.

Works

Cimarosa wrote 99 theatrical works, including Le stravaganze del conte (1772), L’italiana in Londra (1778), Gli Orazi e i Curiazi (1796), and Artemisia (1797). His most famous remains Il matrimonio segreto (Vienna, 1792). He also composed oratorios, masses, motets, symphonies, and keyboard concertos.