The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Bononcini, Giovanni Battista

BONONCINI, or Buononcini, Giovanni Battista, an Italian composer, born at Modena about 1670, died after 1752. He became known at Vienna as a composer of operas, and the royal academy of music invited him to London to compose for the stage. Handel was invited at the same time, and the two became rivals in popular favor, the tories favoring Handel and the whigs Bononcini. The former steadily gained the ascendancy, and Bononcini became a pensioner on the duchess of Marlborough, who had led his admirers. Having palmed off a madrigal as his own which he had merely copied, he was obliged to leave London, and was subsequently composer for the chapel of the king at Paris. He finally went to Venice, where all trace of him is lost. None of his operas have retained their popularity.