Alessandro Scarlatti, 17th/18th century Italian composer

A prolific composer of operas and cantatas

Alessandro Scarlatti was born on 2nd May 1660 at Palermo on the island of Sicily. He was the eldest son of Pietro Scarlatti and Eleonora D’Amato.

Very little is known about his early life, apart from an entry in a church archive in Rome, dated 27th January 1679, that refers to an oratorio being commissioned from “Scarlattino, alias the Sicilian”.

Alessandro married Anatonio Anzalone, a native of Rome, in April 1678 and they were to have a large family that included Domenico, born in 1685, who was destined to become even more celebrated as a composer than his father.

Some of Alessandro’s earliest compositions were operas that were well received when first performed and which led to his appointment as maestro di capella at the chapel of the royal palace in Naples.

In 1702 he travelled to Florence and then to Rome, where he became firstly assistant maestro di capella and later maestro at the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. Some of his best chamber cantatas and operas date from this time.

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.