Caldara, Antonio (1670–1736)

Italian composer. He was a pupil of Giovanni Legrenzi in Venice, and after travelling much and working in Rome and Madrid, Spain, he settled in Vienna, Austria, as vice-conductor under Johann Fux in 1716, writing music for court celebrations there and in Salzburg. He was the first to set many of the libretti of Pietro Metastasio.

Works Stage about 100 operas and other stage works, including Ifigenia in Aulide (1718), Lucio Papirio, Gianguir (1724), Don Chisciotte (1727), La pazienza di Socrate con due moglie (with Reutter, 1731), Il Demetrio, Sancio Panza, Achille in Sciro (1736).

Other church music, oratorios, cantatas, madrigals, canons; trio sonatas, quartets, septet.