Scarlatti, Alessandro 1659-1725
Italian composer

Born in Palermo, Sicily, he began his musical career in Rome, where in 1679 he produced his first opera, Gli equivocinel Sembiante. This gained him the patronage of Queen Kristina of Sweden, whose maestro di cappella he became. A few years later he went to Naples, where he was musical director at the court (1693-1703) and conducted at the Conservatorio. He was the founder of the Neapolitan school of opera, writing nearly 120 works. About 70 of these survive, of which the best known is perhaps Il Tigrane (1715). He also wrote 200 masses, 10 oratorios, 500 cantatas, and many motets and madrigals.