Salieri, Antonio#

Salieri, Antonio, b. Legnano near Venice (Italy), Aug. 18, 1750, d. Vienna, May 7, 1825, composer. His teacher F. Gassmann, brought him to Vienna in 1766 and introduced him to the emperor and to the great names of Viennese musical society (e.g. P. Metastasio and C. W. Gluck); from 1770 opera composer with varying success; 1774 became court composer at the age of 24, 1788 court music director. 1784-1787 great success in Paris, where he was praised as C. W. Gluck´s successor and regarded as the musical authority of Vienna. After the death of Joseph II S. retired more and more from public life. one of the founders of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien (drafted the statutes for the Vienna Conservatory) and put together the musical programme for the Vienna Congress. S. also made a name for himself as a teacher of such well-known composers as F. Schubert, L. v. Beethoven, F. Liszt, J. N. Hummel, S. Sechter, F. X. Suessmayer; C. Cavalieri, A. Milder-Hauptmann etc.

It was above all the rumour, long since refuted, that he had poisoned W. A. Mozart that secured S. a place in history. His long life makes him a link between the late Baroque (J. J. Fux), early classicism (F. Gassmann, C. W. Gluck) and the high romantic style (F. Liszt).

Works#

Literature#