PAISIELLO, GIOVANNI. — Musician, born in Taranto on 9 May 1740, died in Naples on 5 June 1816. He began his studies in his native city and completed them in Naples at the Conservatory of S. Onofrio.
His earliest compositions were some masses, psalms, and motets, notable for originality of form, followed by several operas that met with great success not only in Naples but also in other Italian and European cities. Called to St. Petersburg by Catherine II, he remained there for eight years (1776–84), where he had *The Barber of Seville* performed. In 1784, on his return journey, he stopped in Warsaw and Vienna, where he was enthusiastically received. In Naples he held the position of court chapel master, and in 1802 he was summoned to Paris by Napoleon, though he returned to Naples after a year to resume his post as court chapel master until his death.
A composer of unparalleled wit, creator of the semi-serious opera, Paisiello wrote the oratorio *La Passione di Cristo* (Warsaw 1784), several sacred cantatas, about thirty-five masses, a Miserere, a Te Deum, sonatas, symphonies, concertos, chamber arias, etc., in which harmony is always original, instrumentation expressive, and full of lively naturalness.