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 leadership lay an awakened popular enthusiasm under the influence of the four conservatories already mentioned (sec. 91), with possibly some stimulus from altered political conditions.

The Kingdom of Naples, founded in the 13th century, was ruled by Spain throughout the 16th and 17th, often with much oppression. In the War of the Spanish Succession, Naples passed over to Austria (1707), and in 1735 regained its relative independence and its intellectual importance under Charles I.

Although data as to Scarlatti's early training are meagre, it is clear that he was thoroughly grounded in the harmonic and contrapuntal learning of his age and was able to handle it in traditional forms. His eminence, however, was due to his gifts as a melodist and his instinct for the ordering of extended operatic works so as to achieve a maximum of sustained interest. While not himself the inventor of the main types of operatic procedure, he is commonly regarded as the father of the completed opera seria—certainly one of its earliest and most successful exponents. He was influential, also, as a teacher and the stimulator of other geniuses. Thus around him grew up a circle of gifted artists, who together gave a memorable impetus to composition. Though the salient feature of the opera at this stage was its attention to affecting and distinctive melody, yet the structure of melody was still so closely associated with polyphonic procedure that broad musicianship was required at every point. It is noticeable that almost all the Neapolitan opera-writers were writers of noble church music as well, in styles that show their descent from the masters of the preceding century.

Alessandro Scarlatti (d. 1725) was born in 1659 at Trapani (Sicily). He is supposed to have studied at one of the schools at Naples and also under Carissimi at Rome (before 1674). In 1680 he produced an opera at Rome under the patronage of the well-known Christina, ex-queen of Sweden, whose choirmaster he was till 1689. Soon after, he became choirmaster to the Spanish Viceroy at Naples, but returned to Rome in 1703 to assist Foggia at Sta. Maria Maggiore, succeeding him there in 1707. In 1709 he went again to Naples, was visited there by Handel, was teacher at three of the conservatories successively, and was for a short time royal choirmaster under the new régime. It is not clear that he ever traveled, except to visit Venice in 1707, where he produced two operas. His musicianship was many-sided, for he was eminent as singer, harpsichordist, teacher, conductor and composer in every style then in use. His most famous pupils were his son Domenico Scarlatti, Durante, Leo, Greco, Feo, Logroscino and Hasse. His handling of the orchestra won the astonished praise of Corelli. His methods and style