Bononcini

(bd-nén-ché’-né), (1) Giov. M., Modena, 1640—Nov. 19, 1678; conductor, composer, and writer of Bologna. (2) Who usually wrote it (boo-6-nén-ché’-né), Giov. Bat., Modena, 1660 (?)—Venice (?), 1750 (?); son and pupil of above; studied with Colonna and Buoni (cello), at Bologna; 1685-91, pub. 7 vols. ma es and instr. mus.; in 1690, court ’cellist of Vienna; 1694, Rome, prod. 2 operas, “‘Twllo Ostilio” and ““Serse”; 1699-1701 prod. 2 operas at Vienna; 1703-05, at Berlin as court-composer; prod. ‘‘Polifemo”’ (1703); ret. to Vienna, where 6 new operas were prod. In 1716, invited to London as cond. and composer for the new King’s Theatre, and to rival Handel; this provoked a famous and bitter war with some succe for B., who prod. 8 operas, 1702-27; but in 1731 he was caught in a plagiarism from A. Lotti (a crime of which Handel was by no means guiltle himself); 1733 an alchemist swindled him from affluence to bankruptcy. Later he appeared in Paris and prod. a motet for the ‘Chapelle “royale,” playing the ’cello-accomp. before the King; 1737 his opera ** A le andro in Sidone,”’ and an oratorio, ‘‘Ezechia,” were prod. in Vienna; 1748, he was called to Vienna to write peace-festival music and later went to Venice as composer, a post retained at least till he was oo. (3) Mare An., Modena, 1675 (?)—1726; bro. of above; court-cond. there; prod. 11 operas highly rated by Padre Martini; also composed an oratorio.