MERCADANTE, SAVERIO RAFFAELE. — Composer, born at Altamura in September 1795, died in Naples on 12 December 1870, where he was a pupil of Zingarelli. In 1819 his first opera, *L'apoteosi d'Ercole*, was performed at the S. Carlo in Naples, followed by a series of about 60 operas, ending with *Virginia* (1866).
The works most warmly received were *Elisa e Claudio* (Milan 1821); *I briganti* (Paris 1836); *Il giuramento* (Milan 1837), which was the most frequently performed; *Il Bravo* (there 1839); *La vestale* (Naples 1840); *Gli Orazi e Curiazi* (there 1846). After serving as maestro di cappella in the cathedral of Novara from 1833, in 1840, afflicted by deafness, he became director of the Naples Conservatory. Besides various instrumental works of diverse character, notable was his output in the religious sphere, including the oratorio *Le sette parole di Nostro Signore*, some twenty Masses, 13 motets, 8 Magnificats, 5 *Salve Regina*s, 2 *Tantum ergo*s for five voices, hymns, psalms, versicles, litanies, etc.