Johann Simon Mayr (1763—1845) is a composer rarely performed today. His music, reflecting the transition from the Classical to the Romantic musical era, inspired Rossini and was crucial in the development of Donizetti’s style. He became a central figure in the musical life of the Italian city of Bergamo where, in 1805, he founded the Conservatory, at the time known as “Lezioni Caritatevoli di Musica”. One of the first pupils of the “Lezioni” was Gaetano Donizetti, whose production and fame soo...