DURANTE, FRANCESCO. - Musician, b. at Frattamaggiore on 15 March 1684, d. at Napoli on 13 Aug. 1755. A pupil of G. Ottavio Pitoni and perhaps of B. Pasquini, he was among the first great masters of the glorious Neapolitan school; he taught at the Conservatorio dei poveri di G. Cristo (1728–1739) and, succeeding Porpora, at that of S. Maria di Loreto (1742–1755); in 1745 he took Leo’s place as first master at the Conservatorio di S. Onofrio, where he taught for 10 years.
The most important collection of his manuscripts is in the library of the Conservatoire of Paris and contains 13 masses, fragments of other masses, 16 psalms, 16 motets, antiphons, hymns, madrigals, and sonatas for piano; his Lamentazioni are in the Vienna library, and other works by him are found in Berlin, Dresden, Munich, London, Brussels, Milan, Bologna, and Napoli. Among other works, a Magnificat for 4 voices, 12 chamber duets, several arias, and several sonatas were published.