Salieri portrait by Joseph Willibrord Mahler. Antonio Salieri (August 18, 1750 - May 7, 1825) was an Italian classical composer, conductor and teacher who spent his adult life and career as a subject of the Habsburg Monarchy. Salieri was a pivotal figure in the development of late 18th century opera. He wrote operas in three languages and helped to develop and shape many of the features of operatic compositional vocabulary, His music was a powerful influence on contemporary composers. During his career he also spent time writing works for opera houses in Venice, Rome, and Paris. His dramatic works were widely performed throughout Europe during his lifetime. Even as his works dropped from performance, and he wrote no new operas after 1804, he still remained one of the most important and sought-after teachers of his generation, and his influence was felt in every aspect of Vienna's musical life. He was committed to medical care and suffered dementia for the last year and a half of his life. He died in 1825 at the age of 74. His music slowly disappeared from the repertoire between 1800 and 1868, and was rarely heard after that period until the revival of his fame in the late 20th century.