Giuseppe Gazzaniga

Giuseppe Gazzaniga, born in Verona in 1743, was a prolific composer of the Neapolitan school, renowned for his contributions to the opera buffa genre. Throughout his career, he composed an impressive fifty-one operas, showcasing his mastery of comic opera. One of his most notable works is "Don Giovanni, o sia Il convitato di pietra," which premiered in Venice in 1787, predating the more famous version by Mozart and Da Ponte. Gazzaniga's early life was marked by a clandestine pursuit of music, as his devout parents initially intended him for the priesthood. However, after his father's death, he was able to study music openly, first in Venice with Porpora and later in Naples. His operatic works gained him widespread acclaim across Italy, France, and Germany. Later in life, after becoming the maestro di cappella in Crema in 1791, Gazzaniga shifted his focus to sacred music, leaving behind a rich legacy that continues to captivate audiences today.