Moderate tempo put out an Italian composer (5)
I believe the answer is:
dante
'italian composer' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'moderate tempo put out' is the wordplay.
'moderate tempo' becomes 'dan' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'put' becomes 'tee' (teeing is a kind of putting).
'out' means to remove the last letter.
'tee' with its last letter taken away is 'te'.
'dan'+'te'='DANTE'
'an' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for dante that I've seen before include "Inferno poet" , "Italian poet, 1265-1321" , "Thirteenth to fourteenth century Italian poet" , "Great Italian poet of 'The Divine Comedy'" , "Finally stand before" .)