Astatita, Gennaro

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Astatita, Gennaro

Astatita, Gennaro, Italian composer; b. probably in Naples, c. 1747; d. after 1803. After composing operas for several Italian cities, he went to Moscow in 1784 as music director of the Petrovsky Theater. In 1795 he was named maestro compositore in St. Petersburg. He wrote over 40 comic operas and sacred music.

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire