One of the most important composers of opera in the eighteenth century, Niccolò Jommelli (1714-1774) was an innovator in the use of obbligato recitative, ensembles, and a bold orchestrator whose work was a direct influence on the Mannheim symphonists. First making his mark with Ezio (1741), Jommelli operated as a freelance opera composer, although he held occasional posts in Venice and Rome where he primarily composed sacred music. In 1753, Jommelli settled in Stuttgart, where he remained active the rest of his life and composed his masterwork, Armida Abbondonata (1770). But before his death, Jommelli's work was already regarded as obsolete.