Profession: teacher

Both Hasse and Farinelli were Porpora’s pupils, Hasse later becoming a professional rival. Haydn became his valet and accompanist, and said that he learned ‘the true fundamentals of composition’ from him. Metastasio wrote libretti for him during a long and fruitful friendship, the première of one work launching Farinelli’s public career.

Czerny studied under Beethoven, Hummel, Salieri and Albrechtsberger. Chopin and he were admirers of each other’s work, and visited and corresponded frequently. Clementi was a colleague, and Thalberg, Liszt and Heller were among his pupils. Field visited him in Vienna, probably only once.

Da Ponte wrote libretti for a number of Salieri’s operas. Beethoven, Czerny, Liszt, Hummel, Moscheles, Meyerbeer, Süssmayr and Schubert were all students of his – an exceptional list. Gluck was both patron and friend, and Metastasio an acquaintance. Fellow-composers in Vienna included Haydn and Mozart, who collaborated with Salieri on one piece (now lost). There is little evidence of the animosity popularly supposed to have characterised his relationship with Mozart; the fact that Mozart engaged him to teach his son may indeed happily suggest that it is a fiction.