What is Alessandro Scarlatti?
{{more sources|date=April 2024}} [[Image:alessandro Scarlatti.jpg|thumb|200px|Alessandro Scarlatti.]] '''Alessandro Scarlatti''' (born [[Palermo]], 2 May 1660; died 24 October 1725) was an Italian [[composer]]. He lived in the [[Baroque music|Baroque]] period. He is especially famous for his [[opera]]s and chamber [[cantata]]s. He is thought of as the founder of the [[Naples|Neapolitan]] school of opera. He was the father of the famous composer [[Domenico Scarlatti]]. ==Life== Scarlatti was born in [[Palermo]]. At that time it was part of the Kingdom of [[Sicily]]. We know nothing about his musical education. When his opera ''Gli Equivoci nell sembiante'' was produced in [[Rome]] in 1679 the Queen of [[Sweden]], who was living in Rome at the time, was very impressed and gave him the job of being her [[Maestro di cappella]]. In February 1684 he became Maestro di Cappella to the [[viceroy]] of [[Naples]]. He wrote many operas for him, as well as some music for important state occasions. In 1702 Scarlatti left Naples and went to [[Florence]] where he composed operas for Ferdinando de' Medici and for Cardinal Ottoboni, who made him his ''maestro di cappella''. In 1703 he also got a similar job in Rome at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. After visiting [[Venice]] and [[Urbino]] in 1707, Scarlatti went back to Naples in 1708, and stayed there until 1717. However, the audiences in Naples no longer seemed interested in his music. They liked their serious operas to include [[comedy|comic]] music. Some of his best operas were written for Rome where they were produced at the Teatro Capranica. He also wrote some [[church music]] and music for [[royal]] [[wedding]]s. He died in Naples. ==Scarlatti's music== Scarlatti's music forms an important link between the early [[Baroque music|Baroque]] [[Italy|Italian]] vocal styles of the 17th century and the [[Classical music period|classical period]] of the 18th century, which led to the music of [[Joseph Haydn|Haydn]] and [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]. Perhaps his gr