of Leo, with almost 20 operas and oratorios (from 1745); and the two Spaniards Dominico Terradeglias (d. 1751), pupil of Durante and choirmaster in Rome, with 13 operas (from 1736) in Italy and at London, and Davide Perez (d. after 1782), pupil of Mancini, from 1739 choirmaster at Palermo and from 1752 at Lisbon, with about 30 operas (from 1740) at various places, of which Demetrio (1752) and Solimanno (1757) were specially successful at Lisbon.
It will be observed that gradually the vogue of Neapolitan
works spread far away from Naples. Leading composers were
beginning to travel more and Italians were in request at all musical
centres in Germany and at London. Chief among these
apostles of the school was Jommelli, who for a time had great
renown from his many works for both theatre and church. He
brought an access of emotional intensity into the style that increased
its dramatic power, broke up somewhat the formal regularity
of its aria forms and improved some technical details.
The German Hasse matched him in fertility and in melodiousness,
but fell below him in vigor and brilliance. In a distant
way, also, the far greater Handel belonged to this group, though
his early style was formed before he came in contact with the
Neapolitans and was always too individual to be treated with
theirs.
Nicola Jommelli (d. 1774) was born in 1714 near Naples, was trained there
in the schools, especially under Durante, Leo and Feo, and, besides some
slighter works, produced with success his first operas (1737-8), the earliest,
L'errore amoroso, under an assumed name. His sudden fame led to extensive
travels as a favorite opera-writer. At Rome from 1740 he was patronized by an
English noble, at Bologna in 1741 he came under Martini's influence in counterpoint,
at Venice in 1741 and later he received honors from the Council and
began notable writing for the church, at Vienna in 1748 he was intimate with
Metastasio, and in 1749 he was again at Rome, for a time as choirmaster at
St. Peter's, producing much church music. From 1754 he was court-choirmaster
at Stuttgart with extraordinary privileges and salary, and by his
abundant new works and his accomplished leadership made the musical
establishment famous. In 1769, however, the court interest having flagged,
he returned to Naples, bringing out several further operas, but with a startling
want of success, due to the change of style that his long German
residence had produced. This failure shattered his health. Among his
about 50 dramatic works were Ezio (1741, Bologna), Merope (1741, Venice),
Eumene (1747, Naples), Artaserse (1749, Rome), Achille in Sciro (1749,
Vienna), Ifigenia in Aulide (1751, Rome), Pelope (1755, Stuttgart), Alessandro
(1757), Demofoonte (1764) and Armida (1770, Naples). His style
was too dignified and forceful to serve well in comic works, and his best writing
depended on the inspiration of a good text. Quite as important were his
