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Mattia Vento was born in Naples, 1735; studied at the Conservatorio di S Maria di Loreto, Naples; first operatic successes in Italy; Le deluse accortezze (1756) and La finta semplice (1759) produced at Rome; L'egiziana in Venice and Milan, 1763; went to England, 1763; active there as a composer and harpsichord teacher until his death; for the London opera, first produced the pasticcio Leucippo e Zenocrita, repeated in a command performance for the wedding of Princess Augusta (sister of George III), 1764; in succeeding seasons produced Demofoonte, 1765; Sofonisba, 1766; La conquista del Messico, 1767; also contributions to pasticcios; his aria Caro amor was successfully inserted in London performances of Piccinni's La buona figliuola, 1766; after a lapse of some years, produced Artaserse for the Harmonical Meeting, Soho Square, 1771; listed as a director at the King's Theatre, producing comic and serious operas (Il bacio, La vestale and further pasticcios), 1775-1776; also served as conductor at public concerts including those at the Pantheon; listed among the major composers in London by a visitor from Germany, 1776; criticisms included simplicity and a lack of novelty, but individual songs from the operas and the published sets were widely performed and reprinted in anthologies; other work included 11 collections of keyboard sonatas, most with subordinate violin accompaniments, criticised for their sameness, but which were retained in publishers' catalogues for half a century; the 65 sonatas date from 1764-1776; Vento brought to London from Naples the latest operatic style but changes in the sonatas suggest that he also responded to the contemporary pre-Classical synthesis of German, Italian and English elements; died in London, 1776. His oeuvre included the following instrumental works: 6 Sonatas (London, 1764); 6 Sonatas (London, c1764); 6 Sonatas (London, 1765); A Third (-Tenth) Book (Sett) of 6 Sonatas (London, 1766-76); 6 Overtures in 8 Parts (London, c1774); A Last Sett of 5 Sonatas (London, 1777).