Antonio D'Antoni

D'Antoni was born in Palermo to a musical family and gained local fame when in 1813, at the age of 12, he conducted his own composition, a Mass for St. Cecilia's Day. By 1817, he had become the city's maestro concertatore (music director). A friend of Meyerbeer, Bellini, and Donizetti, D'Antoni worked in England, Frankfurt, Venice, and Florence before settling in Trieste. In 1828, he became the music director of Trieste's newly formed Società Filarmonico-Drammatica (Philharmonic and Dramatic Society). Amongst the works he composed for the Society were a cantata, Il genio di Trieste (The Spirit of Trieste) and a comédie en vaudevilles, La festa dell'archibugio (The Arquebus Festival). He composed four operas, the first of which, Un duello (A Duel), premiered at the Teatro Carolino in Palermo in 1817. His last opera, Giovanna Grey (based on the life of Lady Jane Grey) was to be performed at the Teatro Grande in Trieste but was cancelled because of the Revolutions of 1848. He also composed various pieces of church music, marches, dances, and songs. D'Antoni committed suicide in Trieste in 1859.

• Un duello, premiered 1817 at the Teatro Carolino, Palermo • Amina, premiered 1835 at the Teatro Comunale, Trieste • Amazilda e Zamoro, premiered 1826 at the Teatro della Pergola, Florence • Giovanna Grey, composed 1848 (unperformed)