Scarlatti was far more richly endowed than these composers, both by
nature and by art. In the Newberry Library, Chicago, there is one opera
of Scarlatti's complete, "La Rosaura" (Edition of the German Society for
Musical Research), which was probably produced between 1689 and 1692. As
compared with the operas by Monteverde, the melody of this work is much
more free. There is a _largo_ prelude and aria of Climene in the second
scene, with a string introduction, beautifully done. The violin part is
very noble and effective. The second part of the aria is in A minor and
other keys, ending in C minor, after which there is a _da capo_, bringing
back the main aria. I know not whether this _da capo_ was written by
Scarlatti, or was an addition by the later editor; but inasmuch as the
date of this opera so closely coincides with that of "Teodora" (1693),
generally regarded as the first example of the _da capo_, this may well
enough be an earlier case, unknown to the former writers. In the fifth
scene there are some running divisions which are extended to considerable
length, the word "spasso," for instance, having seven beats of common
time, sixteenths. Throughout this work minor tonality preponderates
very much, all the airs being in minor, and only one or two of the
_ritournelli_ being in major. Rosaura has a good air in the second act,
and there is a remarkably fine piece of work for violin solo, lute, and
'cello, the cembale being silent.
M. Fétis says that in "Il Cadute de' Decemviri," played in 1705, "All
the airs have a sentiment corresponding with the words, and a taking
originality. Many have a solo violin with two other violin parts. In the
second act an air of touching expression is accompanied by violin solo,
with obbligati 'celli, and bass alone. The piece is full of strange
harmonies and bold modulations, and is of exquisite beauty."
It was Scarlatti's good fortune to be active as a composer at the very
time when the violin had received its finishing touches at the hands
of the later Amati and Antonio Stradivarius. The first great violin
virtuoso, Archangelo Corelli, had published his epoch-marking works
during the last quarter of the seventeenth century. Scarlatti appears
to have entered into the new musical world thus opened with ever fresh
enjoyment and a rare intelligence. Fétis says that in "Laodicea e
Berenice" (1701) he wrote an air with obbligato for violin and 'cello,
the former having been intended for Corelli; but upon its proving
impossible to secure Corelli, the air had to be given up because there
was no violinist sufficiently skilled to play it.
In "Tigrane" (1715) the orchestra consisted of violins, violas, 'celli,
basses, two horns, two oboes, which was an unprecedented number at that
time. In "La Caduta de Decemviri" (1706) the air _Ma, il ben mio che
fa_ was accompanied by violins in four parts, with admirable effect.
Obbligato solos are also frequent.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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