Page "Domenico Scarlatti" Paragraph 2

He probably first studied music under his father.

Other composers who may have been his early teachers include Gaetano Greco, Francesco Gasparini, and Bernardo Pasquini, all of whom may have influenced his musical style.

He was appointed a composer and organist at the royal chapel in Naples in 1701.

In 1704, he revised Carlo Francesco Pollarolo's opera Irene for performance at Naples.

Soon afterwards, his father sent him to Venice.

After this, nothing is known of Scarlatti's life until 1709, when he went to Rome in the service of the exiled Polish queen Marie Casimire.

He met Thomas Roseingrave there.

Scarlatti was already an eminent harpsichordist: there is a story of a trial of skill with George Frideric Handel at the palace of Cardinal Ottoboni in Rome where he was judged possibly superior to Handel on that instrument, although inferior on the organ.

Later in life, he was known to cross himself in veneration when speaking of Handel's skill.

In Rome, Scarlatti composed several operas for Queen Casimira's private theatre.

He was Maestro Di Cappella at St. Peter's from 1715 to 1719.

In 1719 he travelled to London to direct his opera Narciso at the King's Theatre.