Father & Son: Works by Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti

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Alessandro Scarlatti died in Naples on 24th October 1725, aged 65, and was buried in the church of Montesanto. Former Toronto-area man arrested in Italy, called dangerous Mafia clan's ‘most important personality’ European prosecutors say the organization was dealing in a variety of commodities, including the flower market in the Netherlands and about 250 tonnes of Lindt chocolate previously stolen in Italy. The "Six Concertos in seven parts for two Violins and Violoncello Obligate with two Violins more a Tenor and Thorough Bass, Compos'd by Sigr Alexander Scarlatti", as they were first called, were published in London under the above title by Benjamin Cooke in 1740. Of these six Concerti, numbers 1, 2, 4, and 5 were composed so that they could also be performed as string quartets. Scarlatti called them specifically Sonate a quattro, and as such they represent some of the earliest forms of chamber music in this genre.

Although he was born in Germany, he later became a naturalized citizen of Great Britain. There he also started three commercial opera companies, supplying the nobility in England with Italian operas. Handel was not only considered to be a great composer, but was also thought to be a genius as well. By the time of his death, he had unfortunately become mostly blind, but he was a beloved and respected man who had amassed many riches. Buried in Westminster Abbey, he was given full honors. Handel traveled to Rome where he composed, for the Roman clergy, what could only be referred to as sacred music. He was unable to compose or play operas, as opera had been banned temporarily by the Pope inside the Papal States. From this era comes Handel’s famous Dixit Cominus, which was produced in 1707. Furthermore, he composed numerous cantatas, which are vocal compositions, in reposeful style for gatherings of a musical nature which took place in the cardinal’s palaces, such as Carol Colonna, Peitro Ottoboni, and Benedetto Pamphili. Maestro Scarlatti came by his musical bona fides honestly. He was the sixth of ten children born to the composer and teacher Pietro Alessandro Gaspare Scarlatti (1660-1725). The elder Scarlatti is considered to be the padrino – the godfather – of Neapolitan (meaning Naples-based) opera. Paul Henry Lang, writing in his magisterial Music in Western Civilization sums up Alessandro Scarlatti’s importance this way: In the autumn of 1707 he returned to Naples where in 1709 he resumed his old job at the royal palace, at an increased salary. His large-scale opera “Tigrone” was composed at this time. He was honoured by the King of Naples with a knighthood.Meanwhile Scarlatti ventured into orchestral writing, expanding the Sinfonia concept with his twelve Sinfonie di concerto grosso. His last group of operas, composed for Rome, exhibit a deeper poetic feeling, a broad and dignified style of melody, a strong dramatic sense, especially in accompanied recitatives, a device which he himself had been the first to use as early as 1686 (Olimpia vendicata) and a much more modern style of orchestration, the horns appearing for the first time, and being treated with striking effect. In 1679, Alessandro bet everything he had on his first opera which was huge success and cemented his reputation as a composer, especially of vocal music. His catalogue of work is dominated by vocal music, secular and sacred, in what is called the Neapolitan style. He remained in Rome until 1684 when he accepted an appointment as the maestro di cappella to the Viceroy of Naples.

From about 1697 onwards (La caduta del Decemviri), influenced partly perhaps by the style of Giovanni Bononcini and probably more by the taste of the viceregal court, his opera arias become more conventional and commonplace in rhythm, while his scoring is hasty and crude, yet not without brilliance (L'Eraclea, 1700), the oboes and trumpets being frequently used, and the violins often playing in unison. The operas composed for Ferdinando de' Medici are lost; they might have given a more favourable idea of his style as his correspondence with the prince shows that they were composed with a very sincere sense of inspiration. In 1706 he was elected, along with Pasquini and Corelli, to the Accademia dell'Arcadia, where he must have met Handel in 1707. From 1702 until 1708 he sent Prince Ferdinando de' Medici quantities of oratorios and church music and four operas which the prince had performed at Siena, Livorno and Florence. Scarlatti also composed and directed two five-act tragedies for the 1707 Venetian Carnival. Upon his return to Rome he was made Maestro di Cappella at S. Maria Maggiore, but the salary was so meager that he was ultimately forced to return to his posts in Naples in 1709. Domenico Scarlatti composed operas, ballets, and various other works. But pride of place in his output must be given to his 555 sonatas, which together constitute one of the greatest sets of compositions written by anyone, anywhere, and at any time. (Please do not expect a measured critical tone from me regarding Scarlatti’s keyboard sonatas. Along with Ann-Margret, I have loved them since I was a child and my affection sees no sign of waning.)One of the best pieces by Scarlatti is his cantata Sul le sponde del Tebro, for soprano and trumpet. His cantatas are probably among the most recorded of his works, so I looked into other repertoire. It turns out he had a penchant for this combination (very fashionable at the time), and I found a few corkers. To create extra interest I added percussion to a couple.

A great story. Scarlatti might have met Handel in Venice sometime during the winter of 1707-1708. However, we know for sure that they met in Rome in early 1709, when they were both in their 24 th year. John Mainwaring, Handel’s first biographer – his biography of Handel was publish in 1760, just one year after Handel’s death – describes what happened: Even at the end of the [19th] century, when opportunities for a more impersonal kind of musical training [that is, outside the family context] had grown, Puccini sprang from four generations of local musicians [from Lucca], and the publishers he dealt with represented the third and fourth generations of the family that had founded the Ricordi firm in 1808. In this the profession followed on from earlier times, when the Scarlatti, for instance, included composers (famous and less famous), singers, a violinist and an impresario; they intermarried with a similar family, the Uttini, and a woman descended from this union gave birth, in 1813, to Giuseppe Verdi. Handel was expected to retire in 1733 when his contract ended with The Queen’s Theater. In fact, the board of chief investors anticipated Handel’s retirement as well, but he immediately began looking for another theater. In collaboration with John Rich, who was known for his sensational productions, Handel began his third opera company, the Covent Garden Theater. It was under Rich’s suggestion that he composed Terpsicore, as Rich had advised Handel to introduce Marie Salle and her dancing by using his small chorus. King George II commissioned Handel to write several anthems for him in 1727 for his ceremony of Coronation. Zakok the Priest, one of the commissioned works, has actually been played ever since at every British ceremony of Coronation. However, later the next year, in 1728, Lincoln’s Inn Fields Theater premiered The Beggar’s Opera by John Gay and it ran for sixty-two performances in a row which set the record for longest running opera in theater history at that time. Sadly, after only nine years of success, the Royal Academy subsequently and unobtrusively ceased to exist. Nonetheless, it wasn’t long until Handel began a company anew. King George IIAfterward, Handel wrote Deborah and then his first English oratorio, Athaliah. These three oratorios served as a foundation for how Handel would use the chorus in his later works. Although Handel learned about writing for instruments from Arcangeol Corelli and about the solo voice from Alessandro Scarlatti, no one taught him how to write for the chorus. That, he taught himself. Domenico’s last work seems to have been the Salve Regina in A major for soprano and strings. It is a bittersweet farewell to earthly life and perhaps the finest musical tribute paid to the Virgin Mary by an 18th century composer. Perhaps it is also a kind of reconciliation with his demanding father, who would surely have smiled approvingly when listening to such beautifully crafted and delicate music. Recommended recordings