(d Bonn, early 1752). Italian composer. His early life remains obscure, but Thayer discovered that at least by 1719 (Eitner said 1714) he was serving the Elector Joseph Clemens at the court in Bonn as second of its three Konzertmeister. When such music had an instrumental accompaniment, as in opera productions, Donnini, rather than the director of instrumental music, conducted. By 1722 he was also working as court composer; by 1719 he had written a three-act ‘tragedy’, Ester ( I-MOe ), to celebrate a visit by Albert Charles and Ferdinand, Princes of Bavaria (not Clemens August, as appears on the score). In this oddly constructed work, the middle act abandons the nominal plot line, and, in the voices of such allegorical personages as Fortuna, Usura, Amor proprio and Virtù, sings the praises of the visitors' distinguished family. In 1722 Donnini's singers numbered 22.
On 30 November 1723...
