Giovanni Pergolesi

Despite his tragically short life, Pergolesi left an impressive oeuvre, including the intermezzo La serva padrona, one of the great examples of the Italian comic opera in the 18th century. A successful opera composer, Pergolesi was also a highly esteemed composer of church music, exemplified by his remarkable Stabat Mater. Following musical studies in his native town, Pergolesi was sent to Naples in the early 1720s. He continued his studies at the Conservatorio dei Poveri di Gesu Cristo, where he also performed as a violinist and made his debut as a composer. In 1731, Pergole...