Ristori, Giovanni Alberto

1692-1753

Composer of operatic and sacred music; born at Bologna; was the son of an actor, and at twenty-three went with his father to Dresden, where two years later he became composer to the Italian Court Theatre and director of the Polish Chapel. In 1733 he became chamber organist, in 1746 church composer, and finally in 1750 became vice-chapelmaster. Ristori was one of the earliest composers of comic opera, his works produced in this line being Calandro, 1726, and Don Chisciotte, 1727, besides a dozen others. His sacred music includes several oratorios, sixteen cantatas and eleven masses, etc.; he also wrote concertos and other instrumental music.