Tommaso Traetta
Traetta, Tommaso
Born Mar. 30, 1727, in Bitonto, near Bari; died Apr. 6, 1779, in Venice. Italian composer.
Traetta was a student of N. Porpora and F. Durante, and his first opera was performed in 1751 in Naples. He worked in various towns in Italy and served as court conductor from 1768 to 1775 in St. Petersburg, where he composed and staged the operas Antigono in 1772, Amore e Psiche in 1773, and Lucio Vero in 1774. Traetta composed many other operas, including one for a libretto by C. Goldoni; he also wrote oratorios and church music.