Antonio Draghi

Antonio Draghi (ca. 1634 – 16 January 1700) was a Baroque composer. He possibly was the brother of Giovanni Battista Draghi.

Draghi was born at Rimini in Italy, and was one of the most prolific composers of his time. His contribution to the development of Italian opera was particularly significant. He began his musical career as a choirboy at Padua, but by 1657 he was appearing on stage, in the opera La fortuna di Rodope e di Damira which was produced in Venice. In 1666, his first solo effort, the opera La Mascherata, appeared.

In 1668, Draghi was appointed to the court of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, at Vienna, and he remained there until his death.

Selected works

• La Mascherata, 1666
• Gundeberga, 1672
• Turia Lucrezia, 1675
• Rodogone, 1677
• La patienza di Socrate con due mogli, 1680
• La magnanimità di Marco Fabrizio, 1695

References

• The Oxford Dictionary of Opera, by John Warrack and Ewan West (1992), 782 pages, ISBN 0-19-869164-5