Italian composer and librettist Gennaro Astarita collaborated with many other composers whilst working in Naples in the late 18th century. Although his name is all but unknown in the operatic canon today, his works, often in the opera buffa style, were very popular in their day and travelled as far as Spain, Portugal, and Russia.
Astaria was influential in the development of the Russian opera scene, as one of a number of baroque and classical Italian composers that were engaged to direct theatres across St Petersburg and Moscow.
More about Gennaro Astarita
