December 5 is the birthday of Italian Baroque composer and musician Francesco Scarlatti (1666–c.1741). Sadly, Francesco spent his career in the shadow of his better known family members: older brother Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725) and nephew Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti (1685–1757). Even so, Francesco was an accomplished musician and held a number of appointments.
Following his studies, Francesco's first appointment was as a violinist at the Chapel Royal in Naples. His appointment was controversial because a number of Neapolitan musicians resented the young provincial's influence at court.
In 1690, Francesco married Rosalinda Albano, who died in 1706 after giving Scarlatti five children. Francesco later traveled around Europe, visiting London in 1719; some sources suggest that his visit was on the invitation of his friend George Frideric Handel (1685–1759). Scarlatti and Handel met some years earlier in Italy. We know hardly anything of Scarlatti's time in London. It is thought that he probably worked in theatre orchestras. Scarlatti was recommended to James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos by John Arbuthnot. Chandos, a patron of Handel, maintained a musical establishment at his main house, Cannons in Middlesex, but Scarlatti appears not to have joined it.
By 1724, Francesco Scarlatti was living in Dublin with the title of "Master of Musick". He may have re-married while in Ireland, because the Dublin Journal of 1733 reported: "Jane Scarlatti, wife of Francis Scarlatti, Master of Musick, hath eloped from her said husband. This is to desire that nobody may give any credit to the said Jane Scarlatti on account of her said husband; for he will not pay any debts that she shall contract; nor answer any bills she may draw on him."
The last record of Francesco Scarlatti is in 1741, when he was apparently unavailable for a concert due to ill-health. The known works of Scarlatti include arrangements of : Psalm 122 (Laetatus sum); Psalm 110 (Dixit dominus); Messa; Psalm 51 (Miserere).
Following his studies, Francesco's first appointment was as a violinist at the Chapel Royal in Naples. His appointment was controversial because a number of Neapolitan musicians resented the young provincial's influence at court.
In 1690, Francesco married Rosalinda Albano, who died in 1706 after giving Scarlatti five children. Francesco later traveled around Europe, visiting London in 1719; some sources suggest that his visit was on the invitation of his friend George Frideric Handel (1685–1759). Scarlatti and Handel met some years earlier in Italy. We know hardly anything of Scarlatti's time in London. It is thought that he probably worked in theatre orchestras. Scarlatti was recommended to James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos by John Arbuthnot. Chandos, a patron of Handel, maintained a musical establishment at his main house, Cannons in Middlesex, but Scarlatti appears not to have joined it.
By 1724, Francesco Scarlatti was living in Dublin with the title of "Master of Musick". He may have re-married while in Ireland, because the Dublin Journal of 1733 reported: "Jane Scarlatti, wife of Francis Scarlatti, Master of Musick, hath eloped from her said husband. This is to desire that nobody may give any credit to the said Jane Scarlatti on account of her said husband; for he will not pay any debts that she shall contract; nor answer any bills she may draw on him."
The last record of Francesco Scarlatti is in 1741, when he was apparently unavailable for a concert due to ill-health. The known works of Scarlatti include arrangements of : Psalm 122 (Laetatus sum); Psalm 110 (Dixit dominus); Messa; Psalm 51 (Miserere).
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