Antonio Salieri

Antonio Salieri (born Aug. 18, 1750, Legnago, Republic of Venice [Italy]—died May 7, 1825, Vienna, Austria) was an Italian composer whose operas were acclaimed throughout Europe in the late 18th century. At the age of 16, Salieri was taken to Vienna by F.L. Gassmann, the imperial court composer and music director (Hofkapellmeister), and was introduced to Emperor Joseph II. During the same period, Salieri also fostered important friendships with both Pietro Metastasio and Christoph Gluck....