This is the first book in English about Domenico Cimarosa, his more than 65 operas and his sacred and secular vocal music, his keyboard music, and his various works for solo instruments and ensembles. This is also the first authoritative book on Cimarosa since an Italian biography published in 1939. Since that earlier tome was published, many important discoveries have come to light. The authors completed most of their research work at the library of the Conservatorio di musica S Pietro a Majella in Naples. Their efforts have uncovered new information on the composer's marriages, wives, children, actual performance locations, dates of first performances of his operas, and his professional appointments and contacts.
The first half of the book is devoted to a chronological description of Cimarosa's life and provides background material on the customs of the times and contemporary descriptions of the music conservatories in Naples where Cimarosa studied, as well as those in Venice where he was appointed Maestro. The second part presents an alphabetical listing of Cimarosa's more than 65 operas, including alternate names for those that were produced on different stages under different names. Included with each opera is a simple outline of the plot, the cast of characters and their voice ranges, and basic information about the structure of the music itself.