Paradies (originally Paradisi), (Pietro) Domenico

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Paradies (originally Paradisi), (Pietro) Domenico

Paradies (originally Paradisi), (Pietro) Domenico, Italian composer and harpsichordist; b. Naples, 1707; d. Venice, Aug. 25, 1791. He was a pupil of Porpora. He brought out several operas in Italy. In 1746 he went to London, where he earned a living mainly as a teacher of harpsichord playing, but also produced several operas, including Fetonte (London, Jan. 17, 1747) and La forza d’amore (London, Jan. 19, 1751); also composed several symphonic overtures, 2 organ concertos, and cantatas. He publ. 12 sonate di gravicembalo (London, 1754). Toward the end of his life he returned to Italy. Some of his MSS are preserved in the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge. His sonatas were brought out by G. Benvenuti and D. Cipollini in Milan (1920).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire