Valentino Fioravanti

Who was Valentino Fioravanti?

Valentino Fioravanti was a celebrated Italian composer of opera buffas.

Fioravanti was born in Rome. One of the best opera buffa composers between Domenico Cimarosa and Gioacchino Rossini, he was especially popular in Naples, and was the first in Italy to introduce spoken dialogue in the French manner in his works, sometimes using the Napolitan dialect. His works included some 70 operas, the most famous being Le cantatrici villane from 1799. He died, aged 72, in Capua.

His eldest son, Giuseppe Fioravanti, was a successful opera singer, and his younger son, Vincenzo Fioravanti, also became a celebrated opera buffa composer, writing 35 stage works. His grandsons, Valentino Fioravanti and Luigi Fioravanti, had successful opera careers as basso buffos.