“The violoncello parts of many of his cantatas were so excellent that whoever was able to do them justice was thought a supernatural being. Geminiani used to relate that Francischello, a celebrated performer on the violoncello at the beginning of this century, accompanied one of these cantatas at Rome so admirably, while Scarlatti was at the harpsichord, that the company, being good Catholics and living in a country where miraculous powers have not yet ceased, were firmly persuaded it was not Francischello who had played the violoncello, but an angel that had descended and assumed his shape.” Scarlatti also divided his strings into four parts and carefully balanced with them the wind instruments that he used; but the strings were the most important and stood out in relief against the wind; or, if we prefer to think of the matter another way, the wind was subordinate to the strings. Very little is known regarding his private life. His son, Domenico, was also a prolific composer and was a famous player on the harpsichord (_Gravicembalo_). To him is due the original idea of the _form of the Sonata which Haydn afterwards perfected_. Domenico Scarlatti is remembered, too, for his “_Cat’s Fugue_,” written on the notes that his favorite cat touched one day when she walked down the keys of the harpsichord. Next in line comes Rameau, who was born in Dijon, in 1683, just two years before Bach. He was at the height of his fame when Mozart was born. Rameau came of a musical family, showed his talent early, played the clavecin at seven and studied the violin and organ. Eventually he settled in Paris. First he wrote little musical comedies, and, finally, operas—_Hippolyte et Arcie_, _Les Indes Galantes_, _Castor et Pollux_ are some of them—and ballets, which as M. Choquet truly says, “contain beauties which defy the caprices of fashion and will command the respect of true artists for all time.” Rameau died in 1774. Rameau looked very much like Voltaire. He always used the violin when composing. Rameau’s new ideas of orchestration created animosity among the followers of Lully. What did Rameau do for the Orchestra? _He gave to the different members of the Orchestra an individual rôle_; he extended the technique of the violins; he made an increasing use of arpeggios; and he was the first to use _pizzicato_ chords with all the strings at once. He also made a delicate and light use of the woodwind. Every day Rameau is taking a larger place in Music. French critics consider him the most _French_ of all their composers. [Illustration: RAMEAU _By Restout_]