Domeiiico Cimarosa, an Italian composer, born at Aversa about 1750, died in Venice, Jan. 11, 1801. He studied music under Fe-naroli, a pupil of Durante, and soon became so celebrated for his operas composed for the Italian theatres that in 1787 Catharine II. of Russia invited him to become dramatic composer to her court. In 1791 he became director of the Italian opera at Vienna. Here in 1792 he composed II matrimonio segreto, esteemed his greatest opera, which was received throughout Europe with enthusiasm. A peculiarity of it is that brass instruments are excluded from the orchestra, and the other wind instruments are very sparingly used. The accompaniments, nevertheless, are of a rich and brilliant character. The career of Cimarosa in Vienna was cut short by the death of the emperor Leopold II. in 1792, after which he returned to Naples, where he produced some of his finest works, including II matrimonio per susurro, La Penelope, L'Olimpiade, Il sacrifizio d'Abramo, Gli amanti comici, and Gli Orazi. During the French occupation of Naples in 1799, Cimarosa avowed himself so openly in favor of revolutionary doctrines that upon the return of the Bourbons he was thrown into prison, where he languished in close confinement for many months.

Released in 1800 on condition that he would quit the Neapolitan territory, he repaired to Venice, where he died the following year, in consequence, it is said, of the treatment to which he had been subjected. During his residence in Venice he brought out his opera L'Imprudente fortunato, and had partly composed another called Artemisia at the time of his death. Among his works are G9 operas, 4 oratorios, 3 cantatas, 2 requiems, and a mass, besides much miscellaneous sacred music, and 500 detached pieces composed during his residence at St. Petersburg.