Gazzaniga, Giuseppe (1743–1818)

Italian composer. Of his 44 operas, Don Giovanni o sia Il convitato di pietra (1787) was an immediate forerunner of Mozart's opera of the same title (which was produced later the same year in Prague); it has been revived in Wexford, Ireland, and elsewhere in recent years.

Gazzaniga was a pupil of Nicola Porpora and Niccolò Piccinni in Naples, where his first opera was produced in 1768. Later, he lived chiefly in Venice, until his appointment as maestro di cappella at Crema Cathedral in 1791. His works also include oratorios, a symphony, and three piano concertos.