Antonio Salieri biography

Profile

Antonio Salieri was an Italian composer whose played a pivotal role in the development of late 18-century opera. At the age of 16, the composer F.L. Gassmann introduced him to Emperor Joseph II. Salieri's first opera, Le donne letterate, impressed the emperor. Within four years, he was the official court composer, a position he held for 36 years. His best known work is the French opera Tarare.