Others, of course, were men of wide influence, who have made a place for themselves in musical history. But the excellence of the work of the obscure men reveals to us how widespread was the art of musical composition at the time, how excellent the tradition that was rooted in the whole nation. Easily the greatest song-writer of the period was the distinguished opera composer, Alessandro Scarlatti. He was a notable innovator in many forms, and this power of origination is shown in the poetic variety he has given to his songs. We have already mentioned his folk-like song, _O cessate di piagarmi_, which combines with the grace of the dance the sweetness which invites to tears. In a quite different vein nothing could be finer than _Su, venite a consiglio_, in which the author holds a dialogue with his Fancies--a smoothly-moving allegro of the utmost delicacy. Scarlatti’s emotional style is represented in the arietta, _Sento nel core_, and as a pupil of the worldly Carissimi he can, of course, show numberless arias in the brilliant bravura style which was so popular at the time. Pergolesi, the brilliant composer of _opera buffa_, whose early death robbed music of one of its most promising votaries, is known to singers everywhere by his song _Tre giorni_. The purest Italian lyricism also flows in his andantino song, _Se tu m’ami, se sospiri_. Coming down to a later date we find the extremely popular song-writer and composer of _opera buffa_, Giovanni Paesiello (1741-1816), whose arietta, _Caro mio ben_, is one of the purest examples of _cantilena_ in all music. We may also notice the delicate gypsy song, _Chi vuol la Zingarella_. In Paesiello we find all the traditional Italian virtues in the highest degree--simplicity, grace, expressiveness--together with a sympathetic understanding of the voice which has rarely been surpassed in Italian song-writing. II One thing, however, the ‘representative style’ had contributed to song, in common with all other forms of seventeenth century music. This was the unprepared dissonance in harmonic writing. The dissonance, which gave immensely greater freedom to the leading of voices, provided especially a means of poignant emotional expression, wholly lacking in the old church music. And such art-songs as were written in the seventeenth century made a limited use of the dissonance, particularly the dominant seventh, which enabled it to keep mildly abreast of musical progress.