Bononcini

Bononcini or Buononcini , musical family of Modena, Italy. Giovanni Maria Bononcini, 1642-78, choirmaster and organist at Bologna and Modena, was a composer and the author of Musico prattico (1673). His son Giovanni Bononcini, 1670-1747, was a composer, chiefly of operas. In London he was the associate and later the rival of Handel. The opera Muzio Scevola (London, 1721) was a pasticcio by Bononcini, Filippo Mattei, and Handel. His opera Camilla (London, 1706), often erroneously attributed to Antonio Mira, helped begin the English fashion for Italian opera. After failing in his operatic ventures Bononcini, charged with plagiarism, left England and spent the rest of his life in obscure wanderings. He composed operas, produced in Venice, from 1748. Another son, Antonio Maria Bononcini, 1677-1726, became musical director to the duke of Modena in 1721. He wrote many operas, most of which were produced in Venice.

Bononcini, Giovanni (b Modena, 1670; d Vienna, 1747). It. composer and cellist. Usually spelt his name Buononcini. Elder son of G. M. Bononcini. Studied in Bologna. Worked in Rome from 1692 and scored success throughout It. with opera Il trionfo di Camilla (Naples, 1696). Went to Vienna 1697 and was court composer there 1700–11, but also spent time in Rome and Berlin. Invited to London in 1720 to work at newly-founded Royal Acad. of Mus. with Handel as dir. Enjoyed great favour, esp. with the Marlborough family who, from 1724, paid him £500 p.a. Several operas prod. in London over next decade, most successful being Astarto (1720, rev. of 1714 Rome version). In 1721 contrib. act to Muzio Scevola, the other 2 being by Amadei and Handel. In 1722 wrote anthem for Duke of Marlborough's funeral in Westminster Abbey. In 1732 left Eng. for Fr., scorning to answer an accusation of plagiarism. Lived rest of his life in Paris and Vienna. Comp. nearly 50 operas, also masses, oratorios, many cantatas for solo voice, and a large amount of chamber mus.