DURANTE, Francesco, a celebrated Italian oomposer, and one of the founders of the so-called Neapolitan school of music, was born at Frattamaggiore, in the kingdom of Naples, and not, as has been erroneously stated, in the city of that name. The date of his birth is generally given nine years too late. In reality he was born on March 15, 1684. At an early age he entered the Conservatorio dei poveri di Gesiι Cristo, at Naples, where he received lessons from Gaetano Greco; But soon he attracted the attention of the celebrated Alessandro Scarlatti, at that time the head and ornament of another great music school of Naples, the Conservatory of St Onofrio. Under him Durante studied for a considerable time, and left him only to go to Rome, where, during further five years, he completed his vocal studies under Pitoni. On his return to Naples he obtained the position of chapel-master at the school of St Onofrio, which he occupied till 1742, when he succeeded Porpora as head of the Conservatorio Sante Maria di Loretto, also at Naples. This post he held for thirteen years, till his death in 1755. His fame as a teacher was all but unrivalled, and the most celebrated masters of the earlier school of Italian opera are amongst his pupils. Only Jomelli, Paesiello, Pergolesi, Piccini, and Vinci may be mentioned here. Under him the Neapolitan school of music reached its climax of celebrity, and it was in this school that the great traditions of Italian vocal art were established, the last remnants of which are rapidly disappearing from the modern stage. As a composer Durante adhered to the severe style of the early Italian masters. The structure of his choral pieces is surpassed by Handel alone amongst his contemporaries. His instrumentation also shows many new and beautiful effects. A ...