contributed much to Handel's development, and his works secured him universal renown among thoughtful critics. His fertility of composition verges upon the incredible. Besides his almost innumerable sacred works (including 200 masses), he wrote at least 115 operas (Griselda, 1721, being numbered 114), mostly for Naples, but some for Rome; of these only about one-third are extant. Among the most famous are La Rosaura (1690), Teodora (1693), La caduta de' Decemviri (1697), Laodicea e Berenice (1701), Il Medo (1708) and Tigrane (1715). While his usual plan included little more than a series of arias, with a rare duet or terzet, strung together with recitatives, without much dramatic continuity or special characterization of the personages, the vigor and beauty of his arias is generally notable, the recitatives are often fully accompanied, and the orchestral writing, especially for the strings, is able and enterprising. His liking for the da capo form of aria did much to establish that form. Wind instruments he used sparingly, because not satisfied with their purity of intonation. His overtures, usually in three movements, with a slow movement between two quick ones, fixed a type that rivaled that of Lully in popularity. Besides his operas, he wrote many secular cantatas, serenatas and madrigals, besides a number of oratorios.
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Alessandro Scarlatti
Other opera-writers of this early time were Francesco Mancini (d. 1739), a
good teacher, assistant royal choirmaster from 1709 and chief from 1728, with
20 operas from 1697 (as Ariovisto, 1702) and 4 oratorios; Domenico Sarri (d.
after 1741), Mancini's successor at court, with over 15 popular operas and some
oratorios from 1702 (as Didone abbandonata, 1724); Domenico Scarlatti (d.
1757), the great harpsichordist (see sec. 140), with a few operas from 1704;
and Nicola Fago (d. c. 1736), an eminent teacher and sacred composer, with
several operas from about 1709 (as Eustachio) and an oratorio.
Niccolò Porpora (d. 1766) was born at Naples in 1686 and studied at one of the conservatories under Greco and Mancini. His first three operas appeared in 1709-11, including one at Rome. About 1711 he began to be known as an expert singing-teacher, and the renown of his many pupils, like Farinelli, Caffarelli, Senesino and others, indicates his efficiency. Later he resumed opera-writing, largely for Rome and Venice, and in 1733 was called to London to assist in the combination against Handel, but without great success. From 1736 he was at the head of one of the music-schools of Venice, and from about 1745 taught at Vienna, where Haydn sought his help. From 1748 to 1750 he competed unsuccessfully with Hasse at Dresden, and ultimately returned to Naples. Altogether he wrote about 45 operas and several oratorios, characterized by little real genius, though considerable cleverness, particularly in the orchestration. Some solo cantatas rank higher because of
