1681. =Johann Mattheson= (Hamburg). Opera singer and composer and a friend of Handel, in some of whose operas he appeared. 1683. =Jean Phillippe Rameau= (Dijon), 1683-1764. One of the early fathers of French opera, and second only in importance to Lully; produced many operas, and influenced Gluck, who heard some of his works in Paris. 1684. =Francesco Durante= (Naples). Wrote occasionally for the stage, but mostly for the church. 1685. =George Frederick Handel= (Hallé), 1685-1759. Wrote operas for Italy, Germany, and England. In great contrast to the music of his oratorios, his opera music sounds antiquated and dull; its only performance to-day is the occasional singing of an air from one of the operas. 1686. =Niccola Porpora= (Naples), 1686-1767. Wrote many operas, mainly consisting of florid arias and vocal gymnastics; a wonderful singing-master, who turned out some excellent pupils. 1698. =P. A. D. B. Metastasio= (Rome). One of the greatest of librettists; he furnished subjects for operatic treatment for a vast number of composers, including Gluck and Mozart. 1699. =Johann A. Hasse= (Bergedorf), 1699-1783. Fertile opera composer, who produced over one hundred works with success. Hasse possessed great gifts of melody, and was fortunate in having a remarkably fine singer in his wife, who acted as exponent of many of the leading parts. 1700. =Faustina Hasse= (Venice). Sang also for Handel, and was very popular in London; her salary for 1726 was £2,000; a great rivalry existed between Hasse and Cuzzoni. 1700. =Francesca Cuzzoni= (Modena). Also sang for Handel; this is the lady whom he threatened to throw out of the window unless she sang what he wished. She died in poverty in 1770. 1700. =Nicolo Logroscino= (Naples). Wrote comic operas, and is credited with the invention of the concerted finale; his operas are all in the Neapolitan dialect. 1701. =K. H. Graun= (Wahrenbrüch). Wrote twenty-seven operas, which contain melodies and good arias. He is better known by his church cantatas, especially _Der Tod Jesu_. 1703. =G. M. Caffarelli= (Naples). Famous singer, said to have been kept by Porpora for five years to one page of exercises and then dismissed as the greatest singer in Europe. He had great success in male soprano parts. 1705. =Giovanni Carestini= (Ancona). Famous male contralto, who sang for Handel in London. 1705. =C. B. Farinelli= (Naples). Another pupil of Porpora, who sang for the party opposed to Handel; one of the most renowned singers the world has ever produced.