Sacchini, Antonio Maria Gaspare (1730-1786)

Italian composer. His operas were popular in Germany, England, and France, the most popular being Oedipe, which was produced at Versailles in 1786. He also composed sacred music.

Sacchini studied under Francesco Durante at the Conservatorio Santa Maria di Loreto in Naples, where his intermezzo Fra Donato was produced in 1756. He worked first at the Conservatory, but produced his first serious opera, Andromaca, in 1761, and three years later gave up teaching to devote himself to composition. After a time in Rome he went to Venice in 1769, where he became director of the Ospedaletto. He visited Germany, and in 1772 went to London, remaining there ten years and producing many operas. Settling in Paris in 1782, he had the support of Marie Antoinette, and there wrote two operas which show the influence of Gluck. But (like Gluck before him) he became unwillingly involved in rivalry with Piccinni and had little success.

Works Opera about 60 operas, including Alessandro nell' Indie (1763), Semiramide (1764), Isola d'amore, Il Cidde (after Corneille), Armida (1772), Tamerlano, Perseo (1774), Nitetti, Montezuma (1775), Rosina, Dardanus, Oedipe à Colone (1786).

Orchestral two symphonies.

Chamber string quartets; trio sonatas; violin sonatas.

Church music masses, motets, and other church music.