Domenico Scarlatti (Nápoles, 26 de outubro de 1685 — Madrid, 23 de julho de 1757) foi um compositor barroco italiano radicado na corte portuguesa de D. João V, foi compositor real e mestre dos príncipes seus filhos, seguiu com a princesa Maria Bárbara de Bragança para Espanha aquando do seu casamento com Fernando VI de Espanha.
Scarlatti passou a maior parte de sua vida em Portugal e na Espanha. Através de seu estilo individual, teve uma enorme influência no desenvolvimento do período clássico da música embora ele tenha vivido a maior parte de sua vida dentro do período barroco.
Scarlatti passou a maior parte de sua vida em Portugal e na Espanha. Através de seu estilo individual, teve uma enorme influência no desenvolvimento do período clássico da música embora ele tenha vivido a maior parte de sua vida dentro do período barroco.
Domenico Scarlatti was born in Naples, Italy, in 1685.
He was the sixth of ten children and a younger brother to Pietro Filippo Scarlatti, also a musician. Most probably he first studied under his father, the composer and teacher Alessandro Scarlatti; other composers who may have been his early teachers include Gaetano Greco, Francesco Gasparini, and Bernardo Pasquini, all of whom seem to have influenced his musical style.
He became a composer and organist at the royal chapel in Naples in 1701. In 1704, he revised Carlo Francesco Pollarolo's opera Irene for performance at Naples. Soon after this his father sent him to Venice; no record exists of his next four years. In 1709 he went to Rome in the service of the exiled Polish queen Marie Casimire, where he met Thomas Roseingrave who later led the enthusiastic reception of the composer's sonatas in London. Scarlatti was already an eminent harpsichordist: there is a story that in a trial of skill with George Frideric Handel at the palace of Cardinal Ottoboni in Rome where he was judged possibly superior to Handel on that instrument, although inferior on the organ. Later in life, he was known to cross himself in veneration when speaking of Handel's skill.
In Rome, Scarlatti composed several operas for Queen Casimira's private theatre. He was maestro di cappella at St Peter's from 1715 to 1719, and in the latter year came to London to direct his opera Narciso at the King's Theatre.
Agreeing with Msgr Vicente Bicchi (Vaticano, Archivo Segreto - Secretaria di Stato- "Portogallo")Domenico Scarlatti arrived in Lisbon at 29 November of 1719 he arrived to Lisbon, where he taught music to the Portuguese princess Maria Magdalena Barbara. He only left from Lisbon at 28 January of 1727 going to Rome where he got married at 6 May in 1728 with Maria Caterina Gentili. In 1729 he moved to Sevilla where he stayed for four years. There he became familiar with the Flamenco. In 1733 he went to Madrid as music master to Princess Maria Barbara, who had married into the Spanish royal house; the Princess became Queen of Spain, and Scarlatti remained in Spain for twenty-five years and had five children there. After the death of his wife in 1742 he married a Spaniard, Anastasia Maxarti Ximenes. During his time in Madrid, Scarlatti composed over five hundred keyboard sonatas, the works for which he is best known today.
Scarlatti befriended the castrato singer Farinelli, a fellow Neapolitan also enjoying royal patronage in Madrid. The musicologist Ralph Kirkpatrick acknowledges that Farinelli's correspondence provides "most of the direct information about Scarlatti that has transmitted itself to our day."
Domenico Scarlatti died in Madrid, aged 71. His residence on Calle Leganitos is designated with a historical plaque, and his descendants still live in Madrid.
He became a composer and organist at the royal chapel in Naples in 1701. In 1704, he revised Carlo Francesco Pollarolo's opera Irene for performance at Naples. Soon after this his father sent him to Venice; no record exists of his next four years. In 1709 he went to Rome in the service of the exiled Polish queen Marie Casimire, where he met Thomas Roseingrave who later led the enthusiastic reception of the composer's sonatas in London. Scarlatti was already an eminent harpsichordist: there is a story that in a trial of skill with George Frideric Handel at the palace of Cardinal Ottoboni in Rome where he was judged possibly superior to Handel on that instrument, although inferior on the organ. Later in life, he was known to cross himself in veneration when speaking of Handel's skill.
In Rome, Scarlatti composed several operas for Queen Casimira's private theatre. He was maestro di cappella at St Peter's from 1715 to 1719, and in the latter year came to London to direct his opera Narciso at the King's Theatre.
Agreeing with Msgr Vicente Bicchi (Vaticano, Archivo Segreto - Secretaria di Stato- "Portogallo")Domenico Scarlatti arrived in Lisbon at 29 November of 1719 he arrived to Lisbon, where he taught music to the Portuguese princess Maria Magdalena Barbara. He only left from Lisbon at 28 January of 1727 going to Rome where he got married at 6 May in 1728 with Maria Caterina Gentili. In 1729 he moved to Sevilla where he stayed for four years. There he became familiar with the Flamenco. In 1733 he went to Madrid as music master to Princess Maria Barbara, who had married into the Spanish royal house; the Princess became Queen of Spain, and Scarlatti remained in Spain for twenty-five years and had five children there. After the death of his wife in 1742 he married a Spaniard, Anastasia Maxarti Ximenes. During his time in Madrid, Scarlatti composed over five hundred keyboard sonatas, the works for which he is best known today.
Scarlatti befriended the castrato singer Farinelli, a fellow Neapolitan also enjoying royal patronage in Madrid. The musicologist Ralph Kirkpatrick acknowledges that Farinelli's correspondence provides "most of the direct information about Scarlatti that has transmitted itself to our day."
Domenico Scarlatti died in Madrid, aged 71. His residence on Calle Leganitos is designated with a historical plaque, and his descendants still live in Madrid.
