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Alessandro Scarlatti

Pietro Alessandro Gaspare Scarlatti (2 May 1660 – 22 October 1725) was an Italian Baroque composer, known especially for his operas and chamber cantatas. He is considered the most important representative of the Neapolitan school of opera.

Nicknamed by his contemporaries "the Italian Orpheus", he divided his career between Naples and Rome, where he received his training; a significant part of his works was composed for the papal city. He is often considered the founder of the Neapolitan school, although he has only been its most illustrious representative: his contribution, his originality and his influence were essential, as well as lasting, both in Italy and in Europe.

Particularly known for his operas, he brought the Italian dramatic tradition to its maximum development, begun by Monteverdi at the beginning of 17th century and continued by Cesti, Cavalli, Carissimi, Legrenzi and Stradella, designing the final form of the Da capo aria, imitated throughout Europe. He was also the inventor of the Italian overture in three movements (which was of the highest importance in the development of the symphony), of the four-part sonata (progenitor of the modern string quartet), and of the technique of motivic development. He was a model for the musical theater of his time, as evoked by Händel's Italian works, deeply influenced by his theatrical music. Eclectic, Scarlatti also worked on all the other common genres of his time, from the sonata to the concerto grosso, from the motet to the mass, from the oratorio to the cantata, the latter being a genere in which he was an undisputed master.

He was the father of two other composers, Domenico Scarlatti and Pietro Filippo Scarlatti.

Birth and Death Data: Born May 2, 1660 (Palermo), Died October 22, 1725 (Naples)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1905 - 1941

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-15217 10-in. 9/24/1914 O cessate di piagarmi Reinald Werrenrath Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-31432 10-in. 11/20/1924 Le violette Mrs. G. Gifford Female vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor BVE-33857 10-in. 11/9/1925 Sento nel core Georgie Gifford Female vocal solo, with violin and piano composer  
Victor PBVE-42059 10-in. 3/4/1928 Le violette Yoshie Fujiwara Tenor vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor CVE-47428 12-in. 9/5/1928 Cantata Amelita Galli-Curci Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor BVE-47809 10-in. 10/5/1928 Orfeo : Ecco purch'a voi ritorno (Aye for you my spirit yearneth) Ralph Crane Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor LCS-100351 12-in. (33-1/3 rpm) 4/6/1936 Le violette Martin W. Bush ; Mable Allen Smails Female vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor CS-066370 12-in. 7/2/1941 Son tutta duolo Adolph Baller ; Igor Gorin Baritone vocal solo, with piano composer  
Gramophone 7065b 10-in. 1905 Toglietemi la vita ancor romanza Teresa Arkel Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Scarlatti, Alessandro," accessed March 29, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103168.

Scarlatti, Alessandro. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103168.

"Scarlatti, Alessandro." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 29 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103168

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