Alessandro Scarlatti

Scarlatti's music is characterized by flowing vocal lines, clearly articulated forms, and dramatic harmonic progressions that serve theatrical expression. His da capo arias established the three-part ABA structure that became standard, while his orchestral writing favors transparency and support of the voice. The harmonic language is functionally tonal, using circle-of-fifths progressions and strategic chromaticism for emotional emphasis. His keyboard works show contrapuntal mastery and idiomatic understanding of harpsichord technique.

Scarlatti studied with Giacomo Carissimi in Rome, absorbing the older master's approach to text-setting and dramatic structure. He mentored his son Domenico Scarlatti, Handel (briefly in Rome), and numerous Italian composers including Francesco Durante and Leonardo Vinci. His innovations in opera seria influenced every major composer working in Italian opera for the next century, from Vivaldi through Mozart.

After early success in Rome, Scarlatti's career centered on Naples, where he served as maestro di cappella and created the bulk of his operatic output. His style evolved from the more Venetian-influenced early works toward the galant aesthetic that would flourish in the 18th century, with increasing emphasis on melodic clarity and formal balance. Late works show heightened expressive chromaticism while maintaining structural clarity.

In 1707, Scarlatti and Handel met in Rome at the palace of Cardinal Ottoboni for a keyboard competition—the harpsichord contest was declared a draw, though Handel was judged superior on the organ; the two became friends and mutual admirers, representing the meeting of Italian and German Baroque traditions.

Scarlatti composed prolifically for keyboard, creating numerous toccatas, fugues, and variations that influenced his son Domenico's revolutionary approach to the harpsichord—Alessandro's keyboard works deserve recognition as a crucial link between Frescobaldi and the younger Scarlatti's innovations.

Scarlatti's operas appear occasionally in specialist Baroque opera productions, though far less frequently than Handel's. The chamber cantatas are staples of Baroque vocal recitals, while the Stabat Mater appears regularly in sacred music programs. The instrumental works remain underperformed, overshadowed by his more famous son's keyboard music and Vivaldi's concertos—there's significant room for rediscovery here.