Baldassarre Galuppi (Burano, Venice, 1706 – Venice, 1785) was an eighteenth-century composer, also known as “il Buranello”.

He started his career as choir master at the Ospedale dei Mendicanti, then was vice-maestro at St. Mark’s Basilica and in 1762 was appointed Kapelmeister. He spent three years in St. Petersburg, working for Catherine II of Russia.
He returned to Venice in 1768 and continued his rich musical output. Galuppi wrote a hundred or so theatrical works, oratorios, sacred music and concerts for various instruments, especially his 85 sonatas for harpsichord. He was most famous for his comic operas (melodramma giocoso), putting some 20 of Carlo Goldoni’s librettos to music, including Il paese della cuccagna (1750), Il filosofo di campagna (The Country Philosopher, 1754), La cantarina (1756). The quality of his work meant Galuppi was highly respected throughout Europe.

He was the role model for many major classical composers, such as Haydn, who appreciated his good balance between poetry and music, where singing was not an end in itself, plus the accompanying rhythm that was Galuppi’s trademark.

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