Orefice, Antonio

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Orefice, Antonio

Orefice, Antonio, Italian composer who flourished in the first half of the 18th century. His comic opera in Neapolitan dialect, Patrò Calienno de la Costa (Naples, Teatro dei Fiorentini, Oct. 1, 1709), was the first such work given on a public stage in Naples. With Mancini and Albinoni, he composed the opera seria Engelberta, ossia La forza dell’innocenza (Naples, Nov. 4, 1709). His 7 arias from Le finte zingare (1717) are the earliest extant music from a comic opera in Neapolitan dialect.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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