The Neapolitan Baroque of Alessandro Scarlatti

Alessandro Scarlatti

Copper engraving by Giovanni Stuppi 1837 from unknown painting

Source: Baroque Music

Born on 2 May 1660 in Palermo in the island kingdom of Sicily, Alessandro Scarlatti was father of both composers, Pietro Filippo Scarlatti and Domenico Scarlatti, the latter sharing an equivalent importance to the baroque period. Among Alessandro's accomplishments are above 600 sacred and secular cantatas largely for solo voice and continuo, about 30 chamber cantatas, 40 motets and the development of the Neapolitan school of opera, "school" used broadly, meaning not a literal organization such as one of Naples' conservatories, but an approach to doing things which attracted other major composers and having a distinct affect on the greater scene in Europe. In Scarlatti's case that meant helping put Naples on the map as a major center of the theatrical arts to rival Rome and Venice.

Scarlatti is thought to have moved to Rome with his sister in 1672 [Trenfo]. Though there is no documentation of such, he is said to have studied in Rome under Giacomo Carissimi who died in 1674. On 12 April 1678 he married one Vittoria Ansalone with whom he would have six children, two of them composers (above). In December that year he was appointed maestro di cappella at the Church of the hospital, Saint Giacomo degli Incurabili, known as San Giacomo in Augusta. Scarlatti's first major commission was an oratorio for the third Friday of Lent received on 27 January 1679 from the Archconfraternity of the Holy Crucifix of St. Marcellus. This work is lost along with two others of the four that he composed for that confraternity between 1679 and 1682. His 'Passio secundum Joannem' of 1680 and 'Davidis pugna et victoria' of 1700 make two of five oratorios written for that confraternity which yet survive. The Archconfraternity was (is) an association of devotees to the Holy Crucifix of St. Marcellus which survival of a fire in 1519 was deemed miraculous. This crucifix was also credited with stemming plague in Rome in 1522. The Oratorio del Santissimo Crocifisso is an oratory built especially for the activities of the Archconfraternity, one of which was the staging of holy processions through Rome alike that which is said to have saved Rome from plague in 1522. Frescobaldi had also composed for the Archconfraternity of the Holy Crucifix of St. Marcellus [Hammond].

Come Scarlatti's initial opera of 1679, 'Gli Equivoci nell sembiante', which won him the patronage of Queen Christina of Sweden living in exile in Rome since 1654, there a foremost patroness of the arts until her death in 1689. 'Gli Equivoci nell sembiante' translates to 'Equivocal semblances' perhaps more clear as 'Mistaken appearances' since it deals with love and confusion between identical twins separated at birth. This is the first of 63 works for stage conveniently classified as operas at Wikipedia.

'Gli equivoci nel sembiante'   First opera by Alessandro Scarlatti

Premiere at the private theatre of Giovanni Battista Contini in Rome Feb 1679

Libretto: Domenico Filippo Contini

Gallery Players of Niagara / Nota Bene Baroque Players / Bud Roach   Canada 2020

Per above, Scarlatti wrote several oratorios for the Archconfraternity of the Holy Crucifix of St. Marcellus. 'Passio secundum Johannem' ('Passion According to Saint John') arrived in 1680 [Fabris], the only of four written 1679 to 1682 yet extant. This oratorio is a setting for the Passion of Jesus in 'John 18: 19-37' in which voices for Peter and Judas were written for tenor, and the voice of Jesus in bass. Scarlatti composed fourteen oratorios during his career.

'Passio Secundum Joannem'   Oratorio by Alessandro Scarlatti

Setting for 'John 18: 19-37'   1680

Commissioned by the Archconfraternity of the Holy Crucifix of St. Marcellus

Chœur de Chambre de Namur / Millenium Orchestra / Leonardo García Alarcón

Scarlatti's employment as private maestro di cappella to Christina was followed by his first opera to premiere in Naples at the Palazzo Reale in 1683, 'L'Aldimiro overo Favor per favore'. The Palazzo Reale was residence to Neapolitan viceroys which, as posh royal palaces go, housed its own theatre for exclusive audiences. Scarlatti staged numerous operas at the palace upon appointment to Gaspar Méndez de Haro, Viceroy of Naples 1683 to 1687 [Stein]. Another major venue in Naples for Scarlatti was the Teatro San Bartolomeo, beginning with 'L'humanità nelle fiere overo Il Lucullo' 1791. Scarlatti's musical drama in three acts, 'Penelope la casta' ('Penelope the chaste'), premiered either in Palermo, Sicily, in 1694 or 23 February of 1696 at the Teatro di San Bartolomeo.

'Penelope la casta'   Musical drama by Alessandro Scarlatti

Premiere either 1694 in Palermo or 23 February of 1696 in Naples

Libretto: Matteo Noris   1685

Lautten Compagney Berlin / Wolfgang Katschner   Soprano: Dorothee Mields (Penelope)

Scarlatti was highly productive composing operas while with Don Gaspar until 1702 when he signed on at Ferdinando de' Medici's private theatre near Florence. He also wrote operas while serving as maestro di cappella for Cardinal Ottoboni, as well as at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. It may have been during this period in Rome from 1703 to 1707 that he wrote the 217 partimenti posthumously compiled into 'Regole per ben [son]are | il cembalo' ('Rules for playing the harpsichord well'), D-Hs MA/251, circa 1754 [Cipriani]. Partimenti are solo keyboard studies purposed to teaching music.

'Partimento 209'   Study for solo harpsichord by Alessandro Scarlatti

Composed in Rome sometime 1703-1707

From 'Regole per ben [son]are | il cembalo' ('Rules for playing the harpsichord well')

MS: D-Hs MA/251 compiled posthumously in 1754

Harpsichord: Christian Rieger

Scarlatti's 'Exultate Deo' was a motet composed for a cappella SATB in 1708.

'Exultate Deo'   Motet in C major for a cappella choir a 4 by Alessandro Scarlatti

Setting for 'Psalm 80:2' (Vulgate) composed in Rome 1708

From 'Regole per ben [son]are | il cembalo' ('Rules for playing the harpsichord well')

MS: D-Hs MA/251 compiled posthumously in 1754

SKRUK (Sunnmøre kristelege ungdomskor / Sunnmøre Christian Youth Choir)

Album: 'På nytt' on Kirkelig Kulturverksted KKV FXCD254 / Norwegia / 2002

'Dixit Dominus' in G major is one of six for voice which Scarlatti wrote between 1703 to 1721, the last, however, dubious. This one in G for a choir a five SSATB in particular is thought composed sometime between 1703 and 1716. 'Dixit Dominus' is short for the incipit beginning with 'Dixit Dominus Domino meo' ('The Lord said to my Lord') occurring in 'Psalm 109' of the Vulgate ('Psalm 110' King James). Handel is another composer who famously addressed 'Dixit Dominus'.

'Dixit Dominus II'   Motet in G major for a cappella choir a 5 by Alessandro Scarlatti

Setting for 'Psalm 109' (Vulgate) composed sometime 1703-1716

L'Ensemble Orarius   Strasbourg 21 Sep 2013

Scarlatti's second period in Rome ended upon visiting Venice and Urbino in 1707 before returning to Naples in 1708 ('Exultate Deo' above). In 1718 he was working on operas in Rome again, his 'Telemaco' arriving during Carnival to the Teatro Capranica that year. This is one of six works by Scarlatti staged at the Capranica built in 1679 when Scarlatti was about age nineteen. The initial had been his third opera, 'Tutto il mal non vien per nuocere', of 1681. Text for 'Telemaco' was written by Carlo Sigismondo Capece based on Homer's 'Odyssey' and François Fénelon's novel, 'Les Aventures de Télémaque', critical of the reign of King Louis XIV of France (1643-1715). Sacred works interspersed with secular, Scarlatti's third and last period in Rome also brought his 'Messa di Santa Cecilia' in 1720. Saint Cecilia is patroness of music and musicians for both Catholics (Roman and Orthodox) and Protestants (Lutheran and Anglican) with her feast day falling on 22 November shortly before Thanksgiving each year.

'Telemaco'   Opera by Alessandro Scarlatti

Premiere during Carnival at the Teatro Capranica in Rome 28 Feb or 1 March 1718

Libretto: Carlo Sigismondo Capece

Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble / Thomas Henglebrook

Rokokotheater in Schwetzingen 11 June 2005

'Messa di Santa Cecilia'   Mass by Alessandro Scarlatti   1720

Composed for 5 voices SSATB w choir and orchestra

Utah Symphony Orchestra / Maurice Abravanel   2000

Scarlatti's last opera, 'Griselda', premiered at the Teatro Capranica in Rome in 1721. Apostolo Zeno's libretto was based on the Griselda character in Boccaccio's 'The Decameron' circa 1353.

'Griselda'   Final opera by Alessandro Scarlatti

Premiere at the Teatro Capranica in Rome in January 1721

Libretto: Apostolo Zeno

Sinfonieorchester des Norddeutschen Rundfunks / Bruno Maderna   Hannover 1960

'Erminia' is an oratorio thought to be incomplete [Dent] although its first performance was witnessed at the Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano in Naples on 13 June 1723. If it wasn't entire as Scarlatti left it at the time, at least the major portion of it was. Scarlatti composed fourteen oratorios in all.

'Torbido, irato, e nero'   Aria from oratorio by Alessandro Scarlatti

Final aria from Part 1 of 'Erminia'

First performance at the Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano in Naples on 13 June 1723

Text by unknown / possibly Pietro Metastasio

The English Concert / Laurence Cummings   Soprano: Elizabeth Watts

'6 Concertos in Seven Parts' arrived on an unknown date possibly as late as 1725. This set written in 6 different keys witnessed posthumous publishing in London in 1740.

'6 Concertos in Seven Parts'   Six concerti by Alessandro Scarlatti

Date unknown / possibly as late as 1725

Accademia Bizantina conducted by Otavio Dantone

Scarlatti died in Naples on 22 October 1725.