Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848) was an Italian composer, primarily known for his opera compositions. He was born in Bergamo, Italy, into a poor family, but received the opportunity to attend a nearby music school started by priest and composer Simone Mayr. Impressed by Donizetti’s natural musical talent, Mayr helped him earn admission to music school in Bologna, where he studied with Padre Stanislao Mattei. Upon leaving school, Donizetti initially composed smaller-scale works such as quartets or piano pieces. In 1818, he made his first important connections in the opera world, allowing him the opportunity to compose his first opera, Enrico di Borgogna, for the Teatro San Luca in Venice. 

For over a decade, Donizetti composed operas in Venice, Rome, Milan, and Naples, many of which achieved moderate success. His true big break came in 1830 with his opera Anna Bolena, which became an immediate international success. After that, his career exploded; he quickly followed Anna Bolena with his comic opera L’elisir d’amore (1832) and his tragic masterpiece, Lucia di Lammermoor (1835), among many other popular operas. His operas demonstrated the bel canto style of opera also used by Bellini, which made use of beautiful, florid melodies and arias. In 1838, however, he grew disgruntled with the Naples opera scene when it rejected his opera Poliuto on religious grounds, and moved to Paris to premiere it instead.

While in Paris, he revised Poliuto to match the style of French grand opera, and premiered it in 1840. He also staged many of his previous operas and produced the popular La fille du régiment and La Favorite. He did not remain long in Paris, however, as he soon received an appointment as the emperor’s composer in Vienna. He began traveling between Italy, Paris, and Vienna, composing, producing, and conducting operas such as Linda di Chamounix (1842), Don Pasquale (1843) and Dom Sébastien (1843).

Unfortunately, Donizetti’s physical and mental health deteriorated severely at the end of his life due to untreated syphilis. While he continued working until 1845, he eventually became institutionalized and died at home in Bergamo in 1848. While his works were temporarily shelved, they made a resurgence in the twentieth century; he is now considered to be one of the most important composers of Italian opera and his greatest works are frequently staged today.